Union Works 

Engage, Educate, Empower: The Heart of our Union
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Today, Local 434 President Ashley Mims and Vice President Thomas Gallaher spoke directly with Governor Pritzker about the urgent need to fix Tier 2 retirement, sharing how delays in addressing this issue continue to discourage new educators from entering the profession and contribute to experienced educators leaving. Local leaders and members of SWAC (Southwest Area Council) attended, including Cyndi Oberle-Dahm—SWAC President, IFT Secretary-Treasurer, and Local 434 Past President.

While today’s event with Governor JB Pritzker focused on highlighting exciting investments in the Metro East — including the new Advanced Manufacturing Academy at SWIC and regional infrastructure improvements — leaders from Belleville Federation of Teachers Local 434 seized the opportunity to address Tier 2 inequality.

​Local 434 remains committed to advocating for fair retirement benefits while celebrating positive progress for our region.
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Congratulations to our Local 434 retirees—your impact on students, families, and colleagues will be felt for years to come. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to education and to our union.
We also recognized members celebrating milestones in their careers—from year 1 to year 30. Every chapter in this profession matters, and we’re proud to celebrate each one. 
Below are photos of just a few of our recognized members for years of service!
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What a great way to kick off summer! More than 150 Local 434 members from all three councils—teachers, aides, and our amazing administrative assistants—gathered at TR’s to celebrate the start of break with food, drinks, and camaraderie. We’re grateful for this time together and the strong community we’ve built!
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Congratulations to Local 434 members Kayla Hosier and Teagan Gross! 

Two Belleville West teachers were recently honored by the Illinois State Board of Education through its prestigious Those Who Excel awards program.

Kayla Hosier, Spanish teacher, received a Special Recognition for Early Educators—an award honoring excellence within the first three years of teaching. Kayla’s passion, talent, and dedication have made a meaningful impact on her students and school community, and her colleagues, families, and administrators have taken notice!

Teagan Gross, Individualized Education teacher, was awarded the Award of Excellence—the highest honor given in the program. Teagan exemplifies what it means to be an educator: committed to equity, deeply collaborative, and constantly working to build a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Her work continues to inspire students, families, and fellow educators alike.

We are proud to have these outstanding educators in our Local 434 family. Congratulations, Kayla and Teagan!
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Congratulations to our Local 434 scholarship recipients, Ellie Doolittle and Adela Gagen!
Ellie will attend Illinois College to study elementary education, and Adela will head to McKendree University to pursue physical education. Both were inspired by their mothers’ careers in teaching and are committed to giving back through education. We’re proud to support the next generation of educators!
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Congratulations to our newly elected executive board! This marks the first board to serve under our unified federation structure, with equal representation from all three councils. We’re proud to take this next step forward—together. Members will serve through May 2027.

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The second cohort of Local 434’s trauma-informed teaching group completed their three day training this week. The Union Response to Student Stress and Trauma focuses on how to better equip educators with  tools, knowledge, and strategies to create a supportive and safe environment for students who may have experienced trauma. The curriculum emphasizes understanding trauma and the impact it has on students’ behavior, emotional regulation, and learning, as well as how to build a safe and supportive environment that fosters resilience. There is also a focus on emotional regulation and self-care for educators.

Notes from members who attended the training:

Caleb Romoser, West Fine Arts/World Language: The Trauma-Informed training was a powerful and educational experience for me.  The information that was presented is critical for all educators who truly wish to engage their students with that difficult mix of high expectations and deep care. 

Karl Ware, West Para/Coach: Stress/Trauma training is definitely needed. Students' moods change rapidly from day to day. Our District 201 trauma/stress training enhanced our ability to understand people and transcend students' trauma. Group setting helps to show different ways to reach and teach students  . In hostile situations our training taught us options and methods to detox stress and work with students in trauma/stressful situations. We work together and research multiple ways to successfully combat stress and trauma. We learned meditating techniques to actively listen for the mind and heart of the person.  

Jacob Toenjes, West Social Studies: By recognizing strengths and promoting positive coping strategies, trauma-informed educators can help students build resilience, improving their long-term academic and personal success. Ultimately our goal is to help students be ready for the real world.  Helping them build that resilience is another way we can help them achieve success long term.   

Jennifer Lewis, West English: This training was invaluable to my teaching. It's easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks of the job and forget that our students are kids who are already struggling to regulate their emotions, and when trauma is part of their daily lives, they struggle even more. Learning techniques to help my students process and focus was very helpful.

Ashley Mims, West English: I signed up for this training hoping to get some new ideas about how to hold space for my students with trauma, see them as the whole person, all while still holding them to high expectations and maintaining boundaries. This training and the time I had to process with my colleagues provided me with that and so much more. 

Shout out to Tiffany Stellhorn, Nickie Pelch, and Lannette Story who have put in the work to become trainers and led this cohort. (Another shout out to Thomas Gallaher, Christina Roedl, and Kara Schnoeker who led last semester’s cohort!) Thank you to District 201 for partnering with us and providing substitutes for our classrooms as well as lunch!