Reports: School District 304 Files Counterclaim Against GEA
While the Geneva teachers union continues to pursue an unfair labor practice claim, the School District has filed a similar counterclaim against the teachers union.
In a legal battle before the Illinois Labor Relations Board, Geneva School District 304 is now filing a counterclaim against the Geneva Education Association for unfair labor practices, the Kane County Chronicle reports.
The GEA filed the charge against the School District on Dec. 10, before a new three-year teachers contract was ratified. But the GEA officers decided to move forward with the complaint, saying its members "still feel like they were treated wrongly."
GEA President Carol Young said the School Board was trying to intimidate teachers when it sent an e-mail informing them that they would be responsible for paying for their full health and dental insurance premiums for every day during a work stoppage.
A GEA press release said the e-mail was "a threat directly to teachers in an illegal attempt to coerce/intimidate them from their plans to engage in a lawful strike."
The School District's counter-complaint says the GEA's attorney offered to voluntarily withdraw the charge if a contract agreement were reached. That happened on Nov. 20, when the School Board voted to ratify the contract.
Papers filed by District 304 say the union's refusal to withdraw the charge is in itself evidence that the GEA had not bargained in good faith and therefore was a violation of the Illinois Education Labor Relations Act.
The School District also filed documents defending itself against the unfair labor practices charge. District 304's filing said it had no contractual obligation to pay for teachers' salaries and benefits during a work stoppage and that the e-mail was meant to inform rather than coerce, the Chronicle story said.
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normho
2:30 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
Dear School Board: Just DECERTFY the @#$% GEA. Fire them ALL and hire some non-political teschers!
RK
3:02 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
I don't think the Board can decertify - I think that has to come from the teachers who are fed up with the strong-arm tactics the GEA is using against the community.
Jim J
8:24 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
I'm glad to see the Board fighting this. Even though the consequences are insignificant, there's no reason to lay down for these union thugs.
Mitch Dinges
8:31 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
What else does Carol Young have to do for the other half of the day after teaching in the morning or is it afternoon? She needed that taxpayer funded time to process grievances from the union hood, interact negatively with the board and administration. Good for the district to put it right back in her and the unionhoods face!
Derek
9:29 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
I have to agree with the School District on this one. If the teachers did go on strike and their benefits were not paid for, they would have said that they were not made aware of this fact and would have acted differently had they know. It was a no win situation. At this point it, to make a football analogy: Offsetting fouls, replay the down!
FT
9:50 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
It sure looks like the GEA has decided to declare war on the Board, and by extension, the Geneva taxpayers.
This spring we need to elect some tough, fiscal-minded board members who ready and willing to fight back.
Rudy
10:29 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Two of my children had Mrs. Young as a kindergarten teacher. I always looked back on my teachers with joy and respect. I can't believe she would throw away a life time of admiration and respect for the Union's pride! I can't even look her in the eye anymore she must feel the bitterness from the other parents too. It is so sad its like she Broke Bad at some point! I will pray that time heals these wounds and all is forgiven in the future.
craig
7:52 am on Sunday, December 23, 2012
So I assume I'm paying for all this!
Whitney Stein
9:57 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
Best money ever spent!!!! The GEA can spend their dues pursuing a stupid lawsuit because they were "wronged" and we'll spend part of the budget countersuing it. Hope that means an ego-centric teacher loses a job to meet the budget next year, but that's doubtful. Too bad it won't ever be the GEA members/leaders that are making these stupid decisions.