Board Votes Monday on Teachers Contract

Some details still need to be addressed before the school district can vote on complicated contracts with the Oak Park Teachers Assn. and the Oak Park Classified Assn., which represents the district’s noninstructional employees.

The Board of Education had been expected to approve new contracts for both unions at last Tuesday’s meeting. But the teachers union agreement had to be dropped from the agenda at the last minute to fine-tune some of the contract language, putting off the expected approval until the board meeting, which is scheduled for Monday.

Oak Park Unified School District Supt. Marilyn Lippiatt said the district is pleased about the prospect of new contracts for both unions, after one of the district’s most contentious negotiating seasons. The classified association, for example, had threatened job actions and accused the district negotiators of unfair labor practices in the on-again, off-again battle that has lasted almost two years.

Helen Rome, president of the 175-member union and a first-grade teacher at Red Oak Elementary, said union officials will meet today with their members to discuss details of the new contract, and will vote on the package Monday.

Rome said contract negotiations took extra time because the teachers did not have an official union until last April.

“It was a new process for both the district and us to get used to. We were writing a brand new contract from scratch,” Rome said. “We are pleased to have this finished now and are looking forward to a vote next Monday.”

The proposed contract would be retroactive to July 1, 1998, and run through June 30, 2001.