Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for January 5, 1998 CSD #1 GUILTY of Unfair Labor Practices!

As previously reported, BOTH the CAT and the CAESP appeared at a hearing in Springfield on August 6 and 7, 1997. The Associations charged the District with various violations of Illinois labor law--refusal to respond to requests for information, retaliation against union officials, and bargaining in bad faith. Briefs were filed by the attorneys in October and the decisions were finally rendered during Christmas break. Although the District through the efforts of its attorney was able to suppress evidence that directly contradicted key testimony by the Superintendent and therefore avoid a finding of guilty on the retaliation charges, it could not refute the facts of the other charges.

In January of 1996, a former employee of the District was promised "serious consideration" for future employment in return for dropping his grievance for wrongful dismissal. However, the next summer there were four vacancies for which he was qualified and yet he was NOT CALLED FOR AN INTERVIEW even though he notified the District of his interest. One of those new employees quit during the first week of school. The Association sent three (3) separate letters asking the Superintendent to provide information concerning the District's apparent failure to comply with the grievance settlement. The Superintendent--as had become her practice in dealing with the Association--refused to respond to the first two letters and was unresponsive to the Association's request for information in the third. She would only state that the "search process" was on-going. The Association then filed the ULP charge.

The Superintendent did not explain her reasons for not responding until called to testify at the August hearing in Springfield--10 months later! To summarize the administrative law judge's reaction to this belated effort to explain away a wrong: "Too little; too late."

Since the District has been found in violation of Illinois labor law, it has been ordered to post a notice of said violation for sixty (60) days and more importantly to: "Cease and Desist from: (a) Interfering with, restraining or coercing employees in the exercise of rights guaranteed under the Act; and (b) Refusing to bargain collectively in good faith with the Cairo Association of Teachers by failing, upon request, to provide the information that the Association requested."

FINALLY, there is impartial, official recognition of what WE have known for years: Cairo School District Number One does NOT conduct itself according to the laws of the State of Illinois!

What about the CAESP? In a strongly worded opinion, the administrative law judge ruled that Cairo School District Number One VIOLATED THE ILLINOIS EDUCATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT when it unilaterally declared an "impasse" in their 1996-97 negotiations and imposed their "last best salary offer"! The judge did NOT agree with the District that an impasse existed. The judge cited the repeated attempts to negotiate BY CAESP--their substantial monetary concessions to the District--in an effort to remedy inequities in their salary schedule. The District simply turned a deaf ear--refused to negotiate--refused to even respond to questions at the table. (YOUR bargaining team is all too familiar with this tactic by the Board. The Board has done this to us in the past--AND CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME DURING OUR CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS!!!) Finally, an impartial, official of the State of Illinois agrees and has told them in no uncertain terms that this behavior is wrong--does NOT constitute good faith negotiations--and that they must--AGAIN--"CEASE AND DESIST"!!!

The administrative law judge has ordered the Board to meet with CAESP and resume negotiations on the 1996-97 Salary Schedule! Look for a notice to be posted in this decision also.

Sooooooooooo . . . a long struggle to bring the illegal activities of the Cairo School District to light has finally been won. The long hard hours of preparation have paid off. YOUR DUES PAID OFF!!! These legal services are part of the benefits that are included in your annual "contribution". Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the expenses incurred by the District. The District spent thousands and thousands of dollars trying to keep these facts from coming to light. The District spent thousands and thousands of dollars trying NOT to give you the benefits and pay increases you deserve. The District would rather pay lawyers than teachers, secretaries, and others directly involved in the education of kids!

We can only hope that the new Board will learn from these past mistakes. Hopefully, they will NOT do as their predecessors and try to even the score. WE--the CAT--look forward to a new era of labor-management relations. WE--the CAT--hope to return to the table and find an atmosphere of cooperation, rather than confrontation. It is time to look ahead--to move forward. Everyone stands to gain!