Chicago teachers and staff at Passages Elementary Charter School in the Edgewater neighborhood are organizing a union.

The educators, who are seeking to join the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff Local 4343 (Chicago ACTS), filed their "intent to unionize" with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Wednesday.

Chicago ACTS is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT).

Teachers and staff at Passages, located at 1643 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., are organizing in an effort to "more effectively advocate for the students they serve," many of whom include "immigrant and refugee families with students who are English language learners," according to a statement. 

Ann Stella-Tayler, a Passages paraprofessional, is among the staffers pushing to form a union.

"Passages teachers and staff unionized so our school's resources can be allocated to benefit our diverse population of students," she said in a statement. "A union will allow us to work collaboratively with administration on providing the best possible education for students. With unity, we can not only continue making Passages an amazing place for students and staff, but improve teaching and learning."