The River Forest Education Association says it is taking steps to prepare for a teachers strike, citing District 90’s unwillingness to continue negotiations.
The announcement comes after officials for the River Forest elementary school district initiated the public posting process, in which it will send its last, best and final offer to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. The union also will have to file its final offer with the state board.
The RFEA, which represents more than 140 teachers and licensed staff, began negotiations with the district in April. Its previous contract with the district expired on Aug. 15. Since negotiations started, both sides have met nearly 20 times, many of those with a mediator.
In November, union members voted down proposed contract terms offered by the district.
“We are frustrated and disheartened by the district’s lack of compromise at the bargaining table to resolve the issues that led to a failed ratification vote of the tentative agreement we reached on Nov. 10,” RFEA co-president Cindy Crannell said in a statement.
Crannel and co-president Lauren Baiocchi said the union met with the district twice after the failed contract vote to address concerns teachers raised but made no progress.
The union would have to take a vote authorizing a strike and notify the district in advance. A strike vote has not yet been scheduled by the union. No additional bargaining sessions have been scheduled.
Teachers at Tuesday’s School Board meeting lobbied for higher pay and told board members the lengthy negotiations have affected teacher morale.
Union officials have noted the district has a cash reserve that would cover operations for 460 days. They also note that District 90 teachers, on average, make less than their counterparts in neighboring districts.
According to the 2025 Illinois State Report Card, the average teacher salary in District 90 is $77,679 – about $816 less than the state average.
Teachers at Tuesday’s School Board meeting noted they make less than their counterparts in neighboring districts. In Oak Park Elementary School District 97, for example, the average teacher salary is $89,346, according to state data.
However, District 90 Superintendent Ed Condon said the terms the union and district negotiated in November were the “most generous, by far” of any contracts the district has agreed to in the last 20 years.
“The RFEA has been very effective in securing numerous and increasingly generous terms in (recent) sessions,” he said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Some of the highlights of the proposed contract that was rejected included a 7% increase in the first year of the contract, increase in the district’s contribution toward health insurance, additional retirement benefits and more inclusive language regarding FMLA, bereavement and sick leave, Condon said.
“The district remains committed to finding a solution in partnership with our teachers to compensate them fairly while demonstrating financial stewardship, supporting both the current and future success of our students and school community,” the district said in a written statement Wednesday.
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
