Archive for March, 2009

Mar 29 2009

HHSTA Wins Binding Arbitration

Shortly after the last contract negotiations ended in 2006, HHSTA filed a grievance charging that the school board ignored both the language and the intent of the contract clause pertaining to retired teachers’ benefits when it unilaterally increased - in many instances doubling or tripling -  the insurance contributions required of retired teachers.

The following are the prepared remarks presented by Kathy Wynn, Co-President at Hinsdale South, to the Board at the March 16th Board meeting:

On March 6, the binding arbitration between the Board and the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association was sustained in its entirety in favor of the Association.  Due to the decision by the Board that led to this arbitration, the district’s taxpayers will assume the burden of attorney fees, arbitrator’s fee, and interest payments associated with the Board’s action. This expense could have been avoided if the Administration and Board had honored the commitments it made to teachers who devoted their careers to teaching in District 86.

Now that the ruling has been made, HHSTA would like to move quickly to make whole all individuals affected by the Board’s unilateral changes in retiree insurance benefits. We believe that by working together we can move beyond the lack of trust generated by the Board’s actions which led to the arbitration case. With this in mind, HHSTA would like to reiterate the sentiment expressed repeatedly over the past several years: to resolve to work together on behalf of our students.

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