Latest On Ottawa High Strike

It looks like the teacher’s union and school board are taking the weekend off from negotiating.

Teacher representative Glenn Weatherford says there are no plans to meet with the school board or a mediator this weekend.  The sides met for six hours last night but still can’t agree on salary and health insurance.

All weekend activities involving Ottawa High School are cancelled.

Police Almost Get Involved With Strike

About a dozen Ottawa High School teachers staged a “sit-in” last night in a classroom, saying they wanted to be in school today and didn’t want last night’s negotiations session in when it did last night. 

OHS Principal Matt Winchester says the teacher’s knew of a strike protocol laid out by police that said they couldn’t be inside the school unless involved with negotiations.  Saying he was as respectful as he could be, Winchester told the teachers if they weren’t out by 7:30 this morning, “they knew what the next step would be”.  That next step would’ve been calling the police to forcibly remove the teachers.

The teachers eventually left without having the police involved.

Health officials wait for swine flu shots

After hearing all the bad stories about swine flu, you’ll soon be able to get yourself a swine flu shot. 

          The Illinois Department of Public Health has received 57,000 doses of swine flu vaccine to distribute across the state.  Chicago will get a separate shipment of 16,000 doses.

          Jenny Barrie is with the La Salle County Public Health Department.  She doesn’t know yet what La Salle County’s share of the vaccine will be.          Barrie says the first shipments of swine flu vaccine will be dished out to five priority groups. 

          Barrie says the health department is also working close with schools.  They plan on going into schools and giving students a shot.

Strike Will Continue

After six more hours of meeting last night, the Ottawa Township High School Teachers Association and the school board still can’t come to a contract agreement.

Teacher association President Glenn Weatherford claims the school board walked out of last night’s mediation meeting without putting a fair offer forward.  Weatherford had said earlier in the day the  union was prepared to present new proposals for health insurance and salary, the two main sticking points of negotiations.  But according to board president George Hupp, the school board held firm on its 1% salary increase offer and a $172 a month contribution towards family health insurance.  Both proposals were turned down again by teachers according to Hupp.

Weatherford meanwhile says the teachers strike will continue into next week.