By Jim Muir

A federal mediator will meet Thursday night with school administration and teachers at Ewing-Northern Grade School in hopes of ending a labor impasse that threatens to stop classes for 227 students in grades K-8.

Teachers at Ewing-Northern have worked without a contact since August 30 and filed an intent to strike notice with the state in November. The 15 teachers at the school, located in northeast Franklin County, are represented by the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT).

Keith Griffith, field director for IFT, said he is in hopes that an agreement can be reached through mediation but declined to comment about specifics until after Thursday’s meeting.

Kristin Ing, superintendent of Ewing-Northern also declined comment and said the school board had designated Collinsville attorney Barney Mundorf, a partner in the firm of Guin, Martin and Mundorf as a spokesperson for the school district.

When reached by telephone Mundorf said the ongoing labor stalemate boils down to what the district can afford to pay, given the problems with decreased state funding and the difficult local economy. Mundorf said teachers have been offered a raise based on the ‘step process’ – a method school districts use to give annual pay increases based on years of service and advanced education.

Mundorf said based on the step process the lowest paid teacher at the school, who earns $32,100, would receive a 3.77 percent increase while the highest paid teacher, who earns $61,161 would receive a 1.25 percent increase. Mundorf said the sticking point that threatens to stop classes is over an additional 1.5 percent that the union is asking for in addition to the step increases.

“I want to emphasize that I believe teachers work hard,” Mundorf said. “But, I am surprised that they would threaten to strike over the amount of money involved here.”

Mundorf pointed out that Ewing-Northern is looking at declining state aid and in belt-tightening mode like many other Illinois school districts. Mundorf said Ewing-Northern ended the fiscal year with $400,000 surplus in its education fund but quickly added that the school district will receive $80,000 less in state aid this year and a projected $105,000 less in the 2013-14 school year.

“Right now the board is taking the approach that it is not going to spend the education fund down to zero and then address a budget problem,” said Mundorf. “I remain hopeful we can reach an agreement.”

The mediation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Ewing-Northern Grade School.