The Chicago Teachers Union says the countdown toward a possible strike has begun after it rejected..

[Omaha Steve]

Source: US News

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Teachers Union said on Saturday the countdown toward a possible strike had begun after it rejected the recommendation of a neutral arbitrator that it accept a contract offer from the nation's third-largest school system.

The union said the earliest a strike could begin is May 16, about a month before the last day of school on June 21. The union also could strike in September, when school resumes for about 400,000 students.

"The clock has started," CTU President Karen Lewis said in a statement rejecting the arbitrator's recommendation. "We have no choice but to prepare ourselves for a possible strike."

The union staged a one-day walkout on April 1 to protest what it says are proposals that would cut compensation for teachers and to highlight a state budget stalemate that has hurt education and social service funding.

FULL story at link.



FILE- In this March 23, 2016, file photo, Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis speaks at a news conference in Chicago. The Chicago Teachers Union said on Saturday, April 16, 2016, the countdown toward a possible strike had begun after it rejected the recommendation of a neutral arbitrator that it accept a contract offer from the nation's third-largest school system. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-04-17/chicago-union-says-clock-has-started-toward-teachers-strike

[closeupready]

1. I remember Jackie Vaughan - she was tough as nails, and never

shirked from leading the CTU through everything they tried to throw at teachers. You never got the sense that it was never about her; she was all the CTU membership and yes, the children of Chicago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_B._Vaughn

1987 Strike

The strike in 1987 lasted 4 weeks, from September 8 to October 4 and resulted in a pay increase for teachers and reductions in class size. It was the longest strike in Chicago history. Vaughn once said "I think that teacher's strikes should not have to occur, but just as it is for other workers, the strike is the ultimate weapon when there's a total breakdown in the negotiating process."

[Akicita]

2. Somebody in Chicago really screwed up and the Chicago children are suffering

because of it. Like so many news articles on topics like this the root causes of the problem aren't even mentioned. All we are told is that "Chicago Public Schools is in dire financial shape" and that "the district has been forced to cut school budgets in order to preserve cash to make mandatory payments to the teachers' pension fund." Nothing about how the school district got in such dire financial shape and who is responsible. Why is the CPSD in such dire shape and other school districts in Illinois are not?

Is it because the politicians have drastically underfunded the CPSD and Chicago's children are suffering because of it? How do the dollars expended per student compare to other Illinois districts that are not in trouble?

Is it because teachers' pensions and compensation are bloated which is causing children to suffer. How do Chicago's compensation and pensions compare to districts that are not in trouble?

Is widespread graft and corruption the problem? How does that compare to other Illinois districts?

Does CPSD have a bloated administrative staff that is causing the problem? How does it compare to other districts?

Is the problem that Chicago did a horrendous job of managing their pension fund compared to other districts and the children are suffering because of it?

I'll say it again. Somebody has screwed up royally in Chicago and the children are suffering because of it. For the sake of the children of Chicago the politics need to be removed, the root causes honestly determined, and the fixes made. The children must come first. They should not be cheated out of an education by the greed, politics, incompetence, or corruption of their elders. To Hell with the politicians, administrators, and the teachers union if they are responsible for this suffering.

It would be nice if the news media would let us sheep really know what is going on.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

3. Hey, Rahm: did you want to call liberals fucking morons again, or are you too busy trying to save

your ass from the vast majority of constituents who hate your useless guts?