Strike Averted! Are we Back to Business as Usual?
Between the Cubs game and the pending Teacher’s Strike, Chicagoans were in for a tense Monday night. The Cubs lost game 3, but the Teacher’s Union pulled through with only minutes to spare before the midnight deadline, effectively averting the strike and sending teachers and students back to class as scheduled.
It should be noted that this four-year agreement is tentative, meaning that the agreement must still be approved by the union's House of Delegates and the full membership. A date has not been set for that vote. The agreement could still be denied by the CTU, forcing another agreement to be reached and voted upon. That would likely lead to a strike, as both parties appear to be content with the current decision.
Teachers have been working without a contract since June 2015, and both parties were eager to find a resolution that worked for everyone.
Details of the agreement include:
Retroactive inclusion of the 2015-16 school year
No ‘Pension Pickup’ for newly hired teachers
Two 3.5% raises for teachers hired after Jan. 1, 2016
A 2% cost of living increase in the third year of the deal
A 2.5% cost of living increase in the fourth year of the deal
Teachers must pay 0.8% more for health insurance
$7 million more for hiring teachers assistants in K-2 for classes over 32 students
Incentives for 1,500 teachers to retire early this year ($750 per year of service)
Pledge to rehire tenured teachers whose positions are elimintated
Requires CPS to consult with union before privatizing any more nurses positions
More preparation time for teachers during the school day
CTU President Karen Lewis told reporters Monday night “what we found is that what we ended up with is something that's good for kids, is good for clinicians, is good for paraprofessionals, for teachers, for the community and we're very pleased that we were able to come to this tentative agreement.”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel was also pleased during a news conference shortly after midnight, saying, “the teachers' hard work will be respected in this contract, and appropriately rewarded. Chicago Public Schools' finances will be stronger and on firmer ground because of this agreement. Parents and taxpayers will be relieved, and more importantly, reassured, that we all came together to work together with a common purpose.”
Although we do not know where the funds for this agreement came from, many were pressing the city’s Aldermen to release TIF funds to avert the strike as the deadline loomed near.