DANVILLE – During a five-month-long teachers' contract dispute in Danville, district officials have remained steadfast in their desire to see the union accept a package proposal that comes with a salary freeze for most employees.

And Danville Education Association officials haven't wavered from their desire to have the package taken off the table so that the two sides can negotiate financial and language issues individually.

Despite their disappointment and frustration with where talks stand, both district and union officials also haven't given up hope that they can work together and reach an agreement that's fair to both sides and avert a strike.

"We're hoping we'll be able to make significant progress and even reach a settlement at that meeting," Superintendent Mark Denman said late last week, referring to today's bargaining session.

Negotiations are set to resume at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. It will be the ninth time the two sides have met since talks began in April, and the third time with a federal mediator

The union– which represents about 400 certified staff and 200 noncertified staff – filed an intent-to-strike notice on Aug. 25. Union President Robin Twidwell said that members will vote on whether to go on strike if progress isn't made today. If they vote in favor of doing that, they could walk out on Monday.

He and Denman also said despite statements they've heard to the contrary, district leaders "thoroughly" respect and appreciate staff, whom they called hard working, innovative and flexible. They've shown that, they added, by making teachers salaries – the average is $61,344 – the highest in Vermilion County and competitive with those in the Big 12 Conference such as Champaign, Bloomington and Decatur.

They insisted their request for a freeze – a freeze administrators agreed to take earlier this year – stems only because of the uncertainty of state funding, which will force them to dip into reserves to cover a projected $2.4 million – or greater – budget deficit. Proposed budget figures show the district's fund balances will go from about $20 million to $17.5 million by June 30, 2011, and they pointed out that only about half of that could be used for salaries.

Union officials pointed out that while administrators agreed to a freeze, their annual salaries are $70,000 or more while some teaching assistants only make $12,000, secretaries and learning-resource clerks make $18,500 and beginning teachers – many of whom are paying off student loans and starting families – make about $32,800.

They added that their members already have taken major concessions – including to health benefits in 2006 and to the salary schedule last year – which have saved the district millions. What they're asking for this time, they added, again is minimal and well within the district's ability to pay.

"We're not asking them to break the bank," Twidwell said.

More importantly, union officials said, they want board members to sit down with them and bargain language issues such as class size, school nurses, employee safety and other issues. They said their members approved the last contract without resolving those issues after the board promised to work on them last year.

"That didn't happen," Twidwell said, adding members feel like their concerns aren't being heard.