School is canceled Thursday for 6,000 students in East St. Louis due to an expected teacher’s strike.
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The district’s teachers have been without a pay raise in more than three years and have been working without a contract for more than a year, a union representative said. The students, including members of the Flyers football team, were protesting in front of the East St. Louis District 189 administration building.
Teachers with the East St. Louis Federation of Teachers, Local 1220, are anxious about a district proposal that would double the amount of years it would take a new teacher to get through the salary schedule, he said.
At this point union officials say they are still waiting to hear from mediators and the district to come to an agreement.
“We basically equate that to a career-long pay decrease”. Teachers are prepared to go on strike after failing to come to terms on a new contract with the school district.
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Hawkins said the district has no plans to renegotiate at this time.
