Teachers in Suburban Bourbonnais Set to Strike Thursday

empty classroom generic
Getty Images

Teachers in south suburban Bourbonnais will go on strike Thursday after a final bargaining session between District 53 officials and the Bourbonnais Education Association ended without an agreement late Wednesday night.

Teachers will picket Thursday morning at 8 a.m., according to a statement issued by the BEA.

Bargaining had gotten underway at 6 p.m. Wednesday in a final effort to avoid a strike, but talks were ultimately unsuccessful in bridging the divide between the two sides.

According to the Kankakee Daily Journal, both parties presented written proposals on Tuesday evening and had negotiated for six hours before ending negotiations.

Teachers in Bourbonnais have been negotiating with district administrators for more than a year, according to the paper.

According to the union’s website, the teachers’ latest proposal cost less than the one put forward by administrators. The union proposed a two-year contract, arguing that a shorter-term deal would be better suited to adjustments when a more full picture of the financial health of the district would emerge after the COVID pandemic subsides.

The BEA represents 167 teachers, speech pathologists, psychologists and social workers.

Contact Us