Progress Illinois

The following is written by Oscar Weil, former executive director of the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

The threat of a teachers’ strike in Chicago is but an introduction to a crisis that will spread as school districts and unions face many problems in negotiating new contracts. A crisis has been building in Illinois for thirty years, as it has been in other states, like California, which was once a model for education in the nation and is now in decline. The decline began in Illinois when Ronald Reagan was able to turn the people away from the progressive income tax as the only way the nation could carry the cost of paying for a public education system that has been the most democratic in the developed world, a system that became the foundation for the greatest economy in the world. 

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Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis had harsh words today at a press conference outside the Board of Education, indicating that a strike might be on the way. Another possible indication: The Board of Education unveiled a resolution at their monthly meeting for a Chicago Public Schools strike contingency plan.

Lewis was a bit more conciliatory a couple of hours after the press conference in remarks before the Board. She said there would be a contract and that “hopefully” there will be “movement on major issues” in the next few days. Also, Lewis echoed the remarks of CPS officials that thanks to a potential new labor deal the Board of Education will consider a fresh 2012-13 school year budget at their September meeting.

We may know more about whether teachers will stage a strike following a CTU House of Delegates meeting at 4:30 p.m. today. * The union must provide CPS a ten-day notice prior to a walkout. The majority of CPS schools start class September 4. Read more »

With no contract agreement in place for the new school year, Chicago Teachers Union members held what they called informational pickets today at six Track E schools that had their first day of class last week.

A statement from CTU made clear that while informational pickets are not the same as a strike, an eventual walkout is a distinct possibility. The union must give a 10-day notice to Chicago Public Schools before they strike and a union press release stated there has been “no 10-day strike notice issued, yet.”

The release also quotes CTU President Karen Lewis saying that “if talks continue as they have been” union members will be on the strike picket line. Also, the union alleges that CPS wants principals on the look out for teacher activity that disrupts the school day.

PI checked out one of the informational pickets this afternoon at Cather Elementary, a Track E or year-round school on the near West Side. Read more »