Contract negotiations resume in Waukegan after chaotic school board meeting

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- Talks resumed Wednesday between teachers and the board members in Waukegan after the community's frustration boiled over at a school board meeting Tuesday night.

Waukegan teachers returned to the picket line as negotiators for the teachers and school board got back to work on a new teachers' contract for Waukegan Communtiy United School District 60. There are three main sticking points in the negotiations: salary increases, insurance contributions and length of contract. But these are the same sticking points that have been addressed for the duration of the strike.

On Tuesday there was some middle ground, at least in concept, but Wednesday that seems to have vanished. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has now asked the chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education to assist.

Tuesday night, many stakeholders attended a raucous Waukegan School Board meeting. Many in the crowd were upset that public time for comment had been shortened. At one point, a board member inflamed the crowd.

"Alright, let's go! I'm a parent too! Yeah, sit down and shut up. Yeah, shut up!" said Victoria Torres, a Waukegan School Board member.

English teacher Kathy Babcock has been working in the Waukegan School District for nearly 30 years. She rarely lacks for words, but was left speechless by last night's rancor.

"Flabbergasted. It's the only word I can use. Amazed, astonished and flabbergasted. I couldn't believe that was the way we were going to run that meeting," Babcock said.

The meeting ended abruptly due to "lack of civility." Torres apologized for her actions at the meeting in a statement Wednesday, saying, "As a leader, I realize I set a poor example for the students of Waukegan Public Schools, and for the community, and I am truly sorry for how I acted."

Waukegan School Board president Anita Hanna said in a written statement: "The Board does not condone disrespectful behavior by any persons, including other Board Members, and we hope the progression of events that transpired last night will never happen again. We request civility of all open meeting attendees and strive to set an example for the community. While we have all felt the pressure of tense negotiations over the past few weeks, we have a responsibility to act as leaders we want our children to admire."

"It was disgusting," says Waukegan mayor Wayne Motley. "The result of the meeting was disgusting.

Motley says he will ask for Torres to resign. He also said the meeting set back negotiations which he is eager to see resolved.

"This does impact our whole community. We have children now who don't get breakfast and lunch. We have parents now that have to stay home from work or find day care," he said.

While many parents at Tuesday night's meeting supported the teachers in their campaign for higher wages, others were understandably frustrated that students have been kept from school for nearly a month. Teachers say they are sympathetic to those concerns.

"I mean, this should have lasted maybe a few days and ironed everything out and get the kids back. We want the kids nothing but back in school to educate them," said Rick Colen, a middle school health and P.E. teacher.

The teachers' families aren't without their own hardships as this strike wraps up its fourth week.

"Gotta tighten up on the budgets. Gotta tighten up on expenses and just closely monitor everything," said Peter Vandenbergh, a high school Spanish teacher.

Teachers have been on strike in the north suburb since Oct. 2, and 17,000 students have missed class for nearly four weeks. The school district and teachers union resumed negotiations Wednesday at 10 a.m.