CTU on strike for the first time in 25 years – Father Pfleger blames both sides for using students as “pawns”

Mayor Emanuel: “This is a strike of choice.”

By Chinta Strausberg

 

Amidst dueling live TV press conferences and finger-pointing, for the first time in 25-years, Chicago Public School (CPS) students will not be in school Monday because the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU) and the Chicago School Board are fighting over benefits—a state Father Michael Pfleger Sunday said using children as “pawns” is unacceptable.

“Why can’t the negotiations continue with the children in school,”? asked Pfleger. “They are the pawns, and they are the losers.  And parents in many of our communities have neither alternatives nor money for day care!  I am both saddened and angry. Again, we adults have failed our children,” said Pfleger who during the 11:15 a.m. worship service said he neither works for either side—just God.

Later, Pfleger posted this message on his Facebook page. “The STRIKE is on! Once again we adults have failed our children. Once again they have become the pawns and the victims of our failures. I’m not taking sides, but why can’t the kids remain in school while the talks continue? Poor families have no options and no money for daycare…and with the violence soaring, our children are safe in school, not on the streets! No wonder our children are not good in conflict resolution…we’ve taught them well”!

But, late Sunday night, Chicago School Board President David Vitale held a press conference at the Merchandise Mart building calling the board’s proposal fair but one that will cost $400 billion over the next four-years with Mayor Rahm Emanuel said “This is a strike of choice”—a charge Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Karen Lewis firmly denies with all agreeing the students need to be in the classroom.

But, that won’t be happening Monday morning. Instead, 29,000 teachers and education professionals will be picketing in front of 675 schools and at 6:30 a.m. protesting in front of the Board of Education, 125 S. Clark St., according to Lewis who said the two sides are butting heads over benefits like job security and student resources. “We want to maintain the existing health benefits,” she said.” Lewis blamed this deadlock on CPS’ revolving door of personnel. The people with whom she had been talking are no longer at CPS.

“Negotiations have been intense but productive; however, we have failed to reach an agreement that will prevent a labor strike,” Lewis said. “This is a difficult decision and one we hoped we could avoid.” While Lewis said she had remained “hopeful but determined” throughout the negotiations, she said “We must do things differently in this city if we are to provide our students with the education they so rightfully deserve.”

Saying he did not want a strike, Vitale said the package they put on the table was “an agreement that should satisfy most of their needs if not all of their needs…. We did not want a strike….” While Vitale said he tried in vain to see Lewis, she confirmed that she received his e-mail very late but then sent him an e-mail saying “still here. Come on down.”

Vitale said the Board has reached out to the faith-based community, the not-for-profit and for-profit community to get support for the students. “The response has been truly extraordinary.” “This is perhaps the most unbelievable process I’ve been through…one that has been extraordinary to get through,” said Vitale.

Mayor Emanuel said he believes both the CTU and CPS “should do what they need to do to do right by our children.” “This is no time to have a strike” and the two non-financial issues he say can be resolved.

The mayor said the proposed 16 percent pay raise over four-years that is “richer than anything else that’s been offered by any other union and it’s respectful….”

While saying there is a contingency plan, Emanuel said where he wants the students to be is in the classroom “learning and doing well.” Emanuel said his team has been at the table for 400 hours and said, “It’s not about my presence. It’s about reaching an agreement” he calls “an honest deal. It’s an honest compromise between both parties without anybody compromising principles.”

The mayor said it is essential that the principals “should be held accountable for producing the education results and not be told by the CPS” or the CTU who to hire. “You either hold your principal accountable for getting the teachers they need and hiring the teachers they need or you don’t.” He said local principals “there in the building with the teachers should be responsible for hiring. I don’t want it coming out of CPS downtown I don’t want it coming out of union leadership.”

Emanuel said, “You can’t hold somebody accountable if they don’t have the authority they need to do.”

The second issue, Emanuel said, is the evaluation system he wants to improve the quality of the teachers in the classroom. “Neither one of these issues are allowed to be strike able by the law; yet these are the final two issues….”

Emanuel said Chicago “up to this point was recognized in its education areas for having the shortest day and the shortest year” prior to the now current having a full school year and a longer day. “We’re arguing over a longer school day. I’m just trying to get the kids of the city of Chicago to the starting line where all the other kids are.

“I believe this avoidable because this is a strike of choice,” said the mayor. “It is not necessary” and said his team is ready to pick up where they left off.” Emanuel said the strike could have been postponed “since we are so close but that was not accepted.”

However, Lewis said they have made progress in many areas.  “We have successfully won concessions for nursing mothers and have put more than 500 of our members back to work.  We have restored some of the art, music, world language, technology and physical education classes to many of our students.  The Board also agreed that we will now have textbooks on the first day of school rather than have our students and teachers wait up to six weeks before receiving instructional materials.

“Recognizing the Board’s fiscal woes, we are not far apart on compensation.  However, we are apart on benefits.  We want to maintain the existing health benefits.

“Another concern is evaluation procedures.  After the initial phase-in of the new evaluation system it could result in 6,000 teachers (or nearly 30 percent of our members) being discharged within one or two years.  This is unacceptable. We are also concerned that too much of the new evaluations will be based on students’ standardized test scores.

“This is no way to measure the effectiveness of an educator.  Further there are too many factors beyond our control which impact how well some students perform on standardized tests such as poverty, exposure to violence, homelessness, hunger and other social issues beyond our control,” she said.

“We want job security.  Despite a new curriculum and new, stringent evaluation system, CPS proposes no increase (or even decreases) in teacher training. This is notable because our Union through our Quest Center is at the forefront teacher professional development in Illinois.  We have been lauded by the District and our colleagues across the country for our extensive teacher training programs that helped emerging teachers strengthen their craft and increased the number of nationally board certified educators.

“We are demanding a reasonable timetable for the installation of air-conditioning in student classrooms–a sweltering, 98-degree classroom is not a productive learning environment for children. This type of environment is unacceptable for our members and all school personnel. A lack of climate control is unacceptable to our parents.

“As we continue to bargain in good faith, we stand in solidarity with parents, clergy and community-based organizations who are advocating for smaller class sizes, a better school day and an elected school board.  Class size matters. It matters to parents.  In the third largest school district in Illinois there are only 350 social workers—putting their caseloads at nearly 1,000 students each.  We join them in their call for more social workers, counselors, audio/visual and hearing technicians and school nurses. Our children are exposed to unprecedented levels of neighborhood violence and other social issues, so the fight for wraparound services is critically important to all of us.  Our members will continue to support this ground swell of parent activism and grassroots engagement on these issues. And we hope the Board will not shut these voices out.

“While new Illinois law prohibits us from striking over the recall of laid-off teachers and compensation for a longer school year, we do not intend to sign an agreement until these matters are addressed.

“Again, we are committed to staying at the table until a contract is place.  However, in the morning no CTU member will be inside our schools.  We will walk the picket lines.  We will talk to parents.  We will talk to clergy.  We will talk to the community.  We will talk to anyone who will listen—we demand a fair contract today, we demand a fair contract now. And, until there is one in place that our members accept, we will on the line,” declared Lewis.

“We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters throughout the state and country who are currently bargaining for their own fair contracts.  We stand with those who have already declared they too are prepared to strike, in the best interests of their students.”

“This announcement is made now so our parents and community are empowered with this knowledge and will know that schools will not open on tomorrow.  Please seek alternative care for your children.  And, we ask all of you to join us in our education justice fight—for a fair contract—and call on the mayor and CEO Brizard to settle this matter now,” said Lewis.

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.