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Chicago Teachers Union votes to shut schools for day with walkout on 1 April Chicago Teachers Union votes to shut schools for day with walkout on 1 April
(about 13 hours later)
The Chicago Teachers Union voted Wednesday to walk off the job on 1 April and close down the schools for the day in a battle with district officials over funding and a new contract. The Chicago Teachers Union voted on Wednesday to walk off the job on 1 April and close down the schools for the day in a battle with district officials over funding and a new contract.
Union president Karen Lewis said 486 members of the union’s house of delegates voted in favor of the walkout, while 124 voted against the action. The union’s president, Karen Lewis, said 486 members of the union’s house of delegates voted in favor of the walkout, while 124 voted against the action.
“April 1 would be an unfair labor day of action,” Lewis said in announcing the proposed strike. “It’s a showdown.”“April 1 would be an unfair labor day of action,” Lewis said in announcing the proposed strike. “It’s a showdown.”
Chicago public school officials have said a walkout by the teachers would be illegal because it is not in line with the state-mandated process for a teachers strike. Chicago public school officials have said a walkout by the teachers would be illegal because it is not in line with the state-mandated process for a teachers’ strike.
Before the house of delegates vote, Mayor Rahm Emanuel urged the union to call off the one-day strike and remain in the classroom where they and the district’s roughly 400,000 students belong. Before the house of delegates vote, Mayor Rahm Emanuel urged the union to call off the one-day strike and remain in the classroom with the district’s roughly 400,000 students.
“The leadership of the union should be at the negotiating table. Our kids should be at their desks in the classroom and our teachers should be there giving them the essential education that they chose as a profession – not a job,” Emanuel said. “We can do and should as a city do both and not take out any disagreements ... on our kids’ education.” “The leadership of the union should be at the negotiating table. Our kids should be at their desks in the classroom and our teachers should be there giving them the essential education that they chose as a profession – not a job,” Emanuel said. “We can do and should as a city do both and not take out any disagreements … on our kids’ education.”
The union’s 27,000 members have been working without a new contract since 30 June. The union in February rejected a four-year deal, saying the offer did not address school conditions, a lack of services for some students or the fiscal crisis facing the nation’s third-largest district. The union’s 40-member “big bargaining team” voted against sending the proposal to the larger house of delegates. That group would have decided whether the entire union membership would vote on it.The union’s 27,000 members have been working without a new contract since 30 June. The union in February rejected a four-year deal, saying the offer did not address school conditions, a lack of services for some students or the fiscal crisis facing the nation’s third-largest district. The union’s 40-member “big bargaining team” voted against sending the proposal to the larger house of delegates. That group would have decided whether the entire union membership would vote on it.
“We believe a tentative contract can be reached if all parties continue to negotiate in good faith,” schools CEO Forrest Claypool told the board of education early Wednesday. “But rather than focusing on reaching an agreement, it is disappointing to see the CTU’s leadership is promoting an illegal strike that would take a critical day of instruction away from our students to say nothing of encouraging teachers to break the law.” “We believe a tentative contract can be reached if all parties continue to negotiate in good faith,” schools CEO Forrest Claypool told the board of education early on Wednesday. “But rather than focusing on reaching an agreement, it is disappointing to see the CTU’s leadership is promoting an illegal strike that would take a critical day of instruction away from our students to say nothing of encouraging teachers to break the law.”
The school district faces a $1.1bn budget deficit and is getting no income from the state because of a budget impasse between the Republican governor and the Democratic-controlled legislature.The school district faces a $1.1bn budget deficit and is getting no income from the state because of a budget impasse between the Republican governor and the Democratic-controlled legislature.
The district announced this month that employees would be required to take three unpaid furlough days during the current fiscal year to save $30m. The district previously had announced it was ending a long-standing practice of picking up the bulk of pension contributions for teachers. The district announced this month that employees would be required to take three unpaid furlough days during the current fiscal year to save $30m. The district previously had announced it was ending a longstanding practice of picking up the bulk of pension contributions for teachers.