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| Chicago teachers' union extend strike as Emanuel threatens court action | Chicago teachers' union extend strike as Emanuel threatens court action |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| The deal between the Chicago teachers' union and the City's school board to end a week long strike unravelled spectacularly on Sunday as the union refused to ratify its negotiator's deal and the mayor threatened to sue the union and force teachers back to work by law. | The deal between the Chicago teachers' union and the City's school board to end a week long strike unravelled spectacularly on Sunday as the union refused to ratify its negotiator's deal and the mayor threatened to sue the union and force teachers back to work by law. |
| In a dramatic and unforeseen escalation of the dispute, which on Friday evening both sides claimed was close to resolution, the union's House of delegates met on Sunday and decided it needed more time to consider the agreement hammered out by its negotiators. | In a dramatic and unforeseen escalation of the dispute, which on Friday evening both sides claimed was close to resolution, the union's House of delegates met on Sunday and decided it needed more time to consider the agreement hammered out by its negotiators. |
| "They're not happy with the agreement. They'd like it to be a lot better for us than it is," said CTU president Karen Lewis. | "They're not happy with the agreement. They'd like it to be a lot better for us than it is," said CTU president Karen Lewis. |
| Since Monday is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, they will not meet until Tuesday which means children will not be able to return to school at the earliest until Wednesday. | Since Monday is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, they will not meet until Tuesday which means children will not be able to return to school at the earliest until Wednesday. |
| Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel responded with characteristic ferocity, insisting he would file a court injunction to break the strike in its second week. | Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel responded with characteristic ferocity, insisting he would file a court injunction to break the strike in its second week. |
| "I will not stand by while the children of Chicago are played as pawns in an internal dispute within a union," he argued in a written statement. | "I will not stand by while the children of Chicago are played as pawns in an internal dispute within a union," he argued in a written statement. |
| "This was a strike of choice and is now a delay of choice that is wrong for our children. Every day our kids are kept out of school is one more day we fail in our mission: to ensure that every child in every community has an education that matches their potential," Emanuel said. | "This was a strike of choice and is now a delay of choice that is wrong for our children. Every day our kids are kept out of school is one more day we fail in our mission: to ensure that every child in every community has an education that matches their potential," Emanuel said. |
| "This continued action by union leadership is illegal on two grounds – it is over issues that are deemed by state law to be non-strikable, and it endangers the health and safety of our children...While the union works through its remaining issues, there is no reason why the children of Chicago should not be back in the classroom as they had been for weeks while negotiators worked through these same issues." | "This continued action by union leadership is illegal on two grounds – it is over issues that are deemed by state law to be non-strikable, and it endangers the health and safety of our children...While the union works through its remaining issues, there is no reason why the children of Chicago should not be back in the classroom as they had been for weeks while negotiators worked through these same issues." |
| The teachers have overwhelming public support although the continuation of strike and the mixed signals from the union leadership may jeapordise that. | The teachers have overwhelming public support although the continuation of strike and the mixed signals from the union leadership may jeapordise that. |
| The two sides were deadlocked for the first two days of the strike, particularly over the key questions of the degree to which test scores can be used for teacher evaluation and the city's policy for rehiring teachers who had been fired due to school closures. This was a particular point of concern because the city plans to close around 100 schools imminently throwing thousands of teachers out of work. The closures, said Lewis, "under-girds everything they talk about." | The two sides were deadlocked for the first two days of the strike, particularly over the key questions of the degree to which test scores can be used for teacher evaluation and the city's policy for rehiring teachers who had been fired due to school closures. This was a particular point of concern because the city plans to close around 100 schools imminently throwing thousands of teachers out of work. The closures, said Lewis, "under-girds everything they talk about." |
| Halfway through last week the two sides appeared to have found common ground on both issues. The City relaxed its sanctions regarding teacher evaluations and its emphasis on testing and a formula was agreed whereby teachers with good evaluations who were laid off would be recalled. | Halfway through last week the two sides appeared to have found common ground on both issues. The City relaxed its sanctions regarding teacher evaluations and its emphasis on testing and a formula was agreed whereby teachers with good evaluations who were laid off would be recalled. |
| On Wednesday night Lewis had been very upbeat about the prospect of an deal. Asked to use a scale of one to 10 regarding the chances of a deal being reached on Thursday, Chicago teachers union president Karen Lewis said: "I'm a nine." | On Wednesday night Lewis had been very upbeat about the prospect of an deal. Asked to use a scale of one to 10 regarding the chances of a deal being reached on Thursday, Chicago teachers union president Karen Lewis said: "I'm a nine." |
| Asked on Thursday if she thought schools would be open on Monday, Lewis said "I'm praying, praying, praying. I'm on my knees for that, please. Yes, I'm hoping for Monday." The House of delegates demand for more time clearly took her – and the rest of the City by surprise. Some said they did not trust the mayor or the City and so wanted to read the agreement more thoroughly. | Asked on Thursday if she thought schools would be open on Monday, Lewis said "I'm praying, praying, praying. I'm on my knees for that, please. Yes, I'm hoping for Monday." The House of delegates demand for more time clearly took her – and the rest of the City by surprise. Some said they did not trust the mayor or the City and so wanted to read the agreement more thoroughly. |
| On Saturday there was a huge celebratory rally of teachers on Chicago's Westside during which representatives of teachers' unions from all over the country came to show solidarity. | On Saturday there was a huge celebratory rally of teachers on Chicago's Westside during which representatives of teachers' unions from all over the country came to show solidarity. |
| So too was Barbara Byrd-Bennett, chief education officer with CPS, was also confident, claiming children could be in school as early as Friday. "I can really, really say to you, if we stick to the issues, unless something really nutsy happens, kids can be back in school [Friday]." | So too was Barbara Byrd-Bennett, chief education officer with CPS, was also confident, claiming children could be in school as early as Friday. "I can really, really say to you, if we stick to the issues, unless something really nutsy happens, kids can be back in school [Friday]." |
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