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Threat of Strike Looms Over Start of Chicago School Year
Posted On Sep 08 2016
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The Chicago Teachers Union held a meeting Wednesday where members approved a September 21 date for a strike authorization vote, union President Karen Lewis said at a press conference in the union hall. Lewis has said teachers will strike if the payment is imposed on union members.
CHICAGO (AP) – Teachers in the nation’s third-largest school district will vote this month on whether they want to strike as contract talks with Chicago Public Schools ramp up again.
If a strike is authorized, teachers could walk off the job as early as October. For that, the CTU has to give at least 10 days notice to the state before walking out for the second time in four years, and ask the delegates to approve a start date. “We will listen to what our members are telling us”.
“I want our teachers, our students and our parents focused on the classroom”, Emanuel said.
According to the Tribune, the CTU says the two sides are roughly $300 million apart in their negotiations.
Cost-of-living raises, pension contributions and health care have become central issues since the contract expired in June 2015. Also in contention are raises based on their education and experience. “Police officers pay half, firefighters pay half, it is their pension they need to pay into it”, Emanuel said.
“Basically, it’s a loss in pay”, Lewis said of the deal offered by the city.
The mayor and his school leaders have been highlighting academic progress in the city’s schools. “Forty-seven percent of districts in the state of IL have a pension pick up”, Lewis said.
Credit rating agencies have rated the district at “junk” status.
Lewis railed against Emanuel touting the record graduation rates that CPS has recently achieved. “Who got those gains?” Lewis said to cheers from a group of union members assembled behind her. “People who did the work got the gains”. The union last staged a strike in 2012. District officials lodged an unfair labor practices complaint, calling the strike illegal. That process was completed early this year.
