NO PROGRESS REPORTED IN CAIRO TEACHERS' STRIKE

CAIRO, Ill. -- The more than 1,000 students in the Cairo Public School District may have another unscheduled holiday Monday.

After two straight days of negotiations, teachers and school representatives are no closer to an agreement than they were when the teachers struck Thursday, leaving 1,048 students idle.

No agreement has been reached despite informal meetings between school superintendent Elaine Bonifield and delegates of the Cairo Association of Teachers Friday.

"I don't anticipate any school Monday," Bonifield said late Friday. "I just don't see any way of settling anything at this time."

There is always the possibility, however, that another meeting could be arranged over the weekend, said Bonifield.

Teachers in the city's four public schools are seeking a 7 percent increase in salary. The Cairo Board of Education had approved a 4 percent raise.

Bonifield said the board had made its best offer. "We didn't want a strike," she said. "But, we didn't want to promise money we couldn't pay."

Bonifield said the school district is under a financial burden and had a budget it had to meet.

"We felt our request was a reasonable one," said Ron Newell, president of the teachers association. "We looked at the educational budget and we looked at what our offer would cost."

Newell said the teachers were willing to talk with the administration.

"We don't want to be on strike," he said.

In a one-sheet bulletin issued by the teachers association this week, it was pointed out that despite "belt-tightening" measures adopted by the district, three new administrative positions had been added, while the district lost nine teachers.

The bulletin also said that students had been denied field trips and other extra-curricular activities, while money had been spent to allow school board members to travel across the country.

The bulletin said the teaching staff had been reduced from 87 to 73 over the past three years. The strike involves 73 teachers in the district's four schools.

Cairo teachers received a 5 percent pay hike last year. This is the first teachers' strike here since 1988, when teachers also struck for more pay.