Settlement hearings will continue on charges of unfair labor practices brought against the DeKalb Community School District No. 428 by the DeKalb Classroom Teachers Association after the two parties failed to reach an agreement.

Robert Perkovich, executive director of the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board, called the two parties to discuss the possibility of a settlement before the case goes to court. Wednesday’s court date was canceled when discussions continued from the April 1 settlement hearing, Perkovich said. Court dates are still set for April 10, 15 and 16.

“We haven’t touched base,” Perkovich said. The court hearing will be held Friday, even if there is no agreement from the settlement hearing, he said.

Perkovich said the hearings are for a single charge prepared by the IELRB against the district. This charge against the district concerns allegations of a course of harassment against Jerry Miller, president of DCTA, Perkovich said.

Charges originally were made against the district in February when DCTA appeared before the IELRB. These charges were on “a series of actions” taken by the district administrators in response to a “singular incident,” Miller said in February.

Perkovich said these “actions” were “the failure of employees to give information to the union (DCTA).”

Miller said DCTA had accepted from the school board “a letter of assurance” to end actions which resulted in two of the unfair labor charges.

DCTA also had made a settlement proposal at the request of the school district’s attorney Robert Ellch. Miller said DCTA had received no response from the district prior to the settlement hearings. He said he hoped to hear their reactions at the hearings.

Further discussions might be held over the phone rather than in the form of a conference, Perkovich said. He said he hopes something will be reached before Friday.

Miller said he could not comment on the results of the settlement hearing on April 1 or the specifics of the charge. “It just isn’t productive to do that,” he said. He said the only thing definite was there will be a hearing this Friday.