A teachers’ strike in suburban Chicago closed down schools for two days last week in the 17,000-student Waukegan district.
The district’s teachers began their strike late last week after contract talks between the Waukegan school district and the Lake County Federation of Teachers ended without a new agreement.
The district and the union are at odds over salary, health-care benefits, and employee working conditions.
School district attorney Tony Ficarelli said the teachers’ union only wanted to talk about salary. In a statement posted on the district’s website, Superintendent Donaldo Batiste said the union’s salary request is too high.
The teachers contend that their pay isn’t comparable to similar nearby school districts.
