Harlem Il. Teachers Walk The Picket Lines

http://www.wrex.com/News/index.php?ID=20808

By Ryan Cummings
13 WREX

Harlem students get an extra day of summer vacation because teachers can't reach a contract agreement with the District.

Hundreds of Harlem teachers, Tuesday, traded in their school books for picket signs.




"So we can feed our kids and put gas in our cars and they don't want to give us that," says teacher Suzy Theisen.

"We would like to achieve a fair and equitable contract so we can return to work," adds union president Lynn Kearney.

Teachers say their salaries were frozen twice in the past few years because of a deficit. Now that there's a surplus, they want change.

The signs say it all. Quality teachers just want quality pay. Two teachers have been offered jobs in other school districts for $10,000 more. One teacher who has been at Harlem for more than 10 years has taken another district up on that offer.

FULL story at link.