Chicago Teachers Union strike enters week two

8 months ago

Teachers aren't happy with a 3 percent raises in years one and four, and 2 percent raises in years two and three

From chicagotribune.com:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is threatening to go to court today to end the Chicago teachers strike after  union delegates decided to extend the walkout at least two more days while they review a tenative deal.

Emanuel called the walkout "illegal" and pledged late Sunday to seek an injunction in court to force an end to the city's first teachers strike in a quarter century leaders and return more than 350,000  students to the classroom.

Delegates had met with Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis for nearly three hours Sunday to review a tentative contract that had been brokered after months of negotiation, but decided to extend the strike.

"They're not happy with the agreement. They'd like it to be a lot better for us than it is," Lewis said. "This is the deal we got. This is not a good deal by any stretch of the imagination, not (compared) to what our members are (used) to having."

 

Other details of the proposed contract, according to the union:

• The school board decided not to pursue "differentiated compensation," which would have one set of teachers being paid differently than another set.

• The hiring of more than 500 teachers in art, music, physical education, world languages and other classes "to ensure students receive a better school day."

• A hiring pool that requires one-half of all of CPS hires must be laid-off members.

• Teachers will be allowed the option to "follow their students" when schools are closed. Also, the contract will also have 10 months of true recall to the same school if a position opens.

• In evaluations, 70 percent will be based on "teacher practice” and 30 percent on "student growth."

• The hiring of nurses, social workers and school counselors when the board "gets new revenue."

•  A guarantee that CPS students and educators will have textbooks on the first day of classes and "will not have to wait up to six weeks for learning materials."

 

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