SC, Ala. sites look back Betty Ford honored 20 years till the next one Dream Chaser details
NEWS
Rahm Emanuel

Chicago teachers union begin three-day strike vote

Aamer Madhani
USA TODAY

CHICAGO -- The city teachers' union began voting Wednesday whether to authorize a strike, laying the groundwork for what would be a second work stoppage at the nation's third biggest school system in just over three years.

Striking Chicago teachers and their supporters attend a rally at Union Park September 15, 2012 in Chicago. Members of the teachers union began voting on Wednesday to consider authorizing what would be the second teachers strike in Chicago in a little more than three years.

Under state law, the teachers union needs yes votes from 75% of its members to move forward with a strike. Voting goes through Friday and can be extended if necessary. In a test vote last month, 97% of members voted in favor of striking.

Jackson Potter, a staff coordinator for the union, says that the teachers and Chicago Public Schools officials remain far apart in negotiating a new contract. The last contract, which was completed after teachers struck for seven days in 2012, expired on June 30.

The school system and union had appeared close to a one-year deal in June, but talks fell apart over differences in the teacher evaluation system. Talks resumed in August, but union officials say there has been little progress.

"The anger from rank-and-file teachers and paraprofessionals is palpable," Potter said. "The lack of political will to invest in vibrant learning communities is something people are dumbfounded by, and they are willing to stand up to a bully and make their voices count."

The union is pushing for more school programs, smaller class sizes, a 3% salary increase, and pay for snow days. The school system, meanwhile, is looking for teachers to take a pay cut and pay more in health care premiums.

The school budget is facing a roughly $500 million shortfall and the Emanuel administration has warned that job cuts at the schools could be coming early next year unless state lawmakers take action with an aid package for the cash-strapped school system.

Emanuel argues that under the current funding system, Chicago accounts for 20% of public school students in Illinois, but only gets about 15% of state education funding.

"I would only call and ask, if I could, that as much energy that is going into figuring out how to have a strike vote that they'd work with us (as hard) in trying to figure out how to have a solution," Emanuel said. "If CPS and CTU joined forces, we'd have a greater impact on changing Springfield policy."

Jesse Sharkey, the CTU's vice president, dismissed Emanuel's comment and said Springfield is only part of the problem.

"If you got a city that is awash in money, that's got new building projects, that's got a River Walk, that's got a Depaul (University) arena (set to open in 2017), that's got a whole series of projects going up, and you can't fund the schools," Sharkey said. "It leads us to ask the questions...'Why can't you sweep the TIF funds? Why can't you make a tax on financial transactions?'"

The city and the CTU agreed in August to enlist mediator's help with contract negotiations, but Sharkey said said that talks have been "stuck in neutral." CPS officials want mediation to continue.

Emily Bittner, a CPS spokeswoman, said school system officials hope to continue "to negotiate in good faith with CTU leadership to reach a fair, multi-year agreement.”

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks during a special City Council meeting that he called to discuss a police abuse scandal Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, in Chicago.  Emanuel is calling on the Chicago Teachers Union to give negotiations more time. The union began a three-day vote authorizing a potential work stoppage.

The union filed an unfair labor practice complaint on Monday with the state's educational labor relations board, demanding that talks proceed to a fact-finding phase in the negotiations. Three of the board's five members are appointees of Gov. Bruce Rauner, R-Ill., who has advocated for weakening public employee's unions.

The board's decision could potentially push back the timing of when a strike can be be called. Negotiations would first have to move toward a fact-finding phase and there is also a required cooling off period, which would mean any potential labor stoppage would not come before early next year.

But union officials have indicated that they see a strike likely happening early next year. Last month, CTU President Karen Lewis called on members to save 25% of their salary and anticipate a "protracted strike" in 2016.

The threat of a strike comes as Emanuel's administration grapples with widespread anger in the city's African-American community following the release of a police dashcam video showing a white police officer shooting a black teen 16 times.

The mayor on Wednesday delivered an address on police accountability and apologized for his administration's handling of the release of the video and investigation of the incident in which Laquan McDonald, 17, was killed by officer Jason Van Dyke. The officer is now facing a first degree murder charge for the shooting.

Timeline: North Korea and the Sony Pictures hack

Emanuel came under fire during his first term for closing 50 schools in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods that had low enrollment.

The school system was also in the national spotlight in October when Barbara Byrd-Bennett, the former chief executive picked by Emanuel to run the school system, pleaded guilty in federal court to her part in a scheme to steer $23 million in contracts to her former employer.

Featured Weekly Ad