It's
not over yet-democracy in is action in the CTU, as the House of
Delegates decides how to proceed with the tentative agreement (see below
for the CTU website release on the HoD meeting today). Let's get back
on those picket lines at the schools Monday morning and do other strike
support as well. Watch the CTU & TSJ website for updates, and don't
necessarily believe what you hear in the news! Solidarity!!
From CTU Website:
House of Delegates Votes to Continue Strike
9/16/2012
Some 800 delegates of the Chicago Teachers Union duly elected from each school and workplace convened Sunday afternoon to discuss the framework established during negotiations between the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Board of Education. Officers presented a 23 page document outlining the most important points of the agreement whose outline has been worked out between the two parties. That tentative agreement is expected to number over 180 pages.
After a civil and frank discussion, the House of Delegates voted NOT to suspend the strike, but to allow two more days for delegates to take the information back to the picket lines and hold discussions with the union’s more than 26,000 members throughout Chicago. Teachers and school staff will return to the picket lines of the schools at which they teach at 7:30 a.m. Monday and, after picketing together, will meet to share and discuss the proposal. Citywide members will picket at the Chicago Public Schools Headquarters, 125 South Clark, at 7:30 a.m. and will meet thereafter at a downtown location.
“This union is a democratic institution, which values the opportunity for all members to make decisions together. The officers of this union follow the lead of our members,” President Lewis said. She continued, “the issues raised in this contract were too important, had consequences too profound for the future of our public education system and for educational fairness for our students, parents and members for us to simply take a quick vote based on a short discussion. Therefore, a clear majority voted to take this time and we are unified in this decision.”
The delegates voted to reconvene on Tuesday afternoon.
09/15/2012
CHICAGO -
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU)'s ruling body will decide whether or
not to call off its strike against the Chicago Public Schools during a 3
p.m. House of Delegates meeting tomorrow at Operating Engineers Hall,
2260 Grove Street. The Bargaining Team is expected to share new details
about proposed contract language which includes a number of victories
for teachers, paraprofessionals, clinicians, and students.
The
earliest teachers and other school personnel could return to their
schools could be Monday; however, no decision has been made to do so.
Delegates, the elected leaders of their schools, have the authority to
suspend or lengthen the strike. They could also ask for at least
24-hours to talk to individual members in their schools before making a
decision on what to do next. The 29,000-member CTU has been on strike
since Sept. 10.
"We
are a democratic body and therefore we want to ensure all of our
members have had the chance to weigh-in on what we were able to win,"
said CTU President Karen GJ Lewis. "We believe this is a good contract,
however, no contract will solve all of the inequities in our District.
Our fair contract fight has always been about returning dignity and
respect to our members and ensuring resources and a quality school day
for our students and their families."
The new proposed CTU/CPS contract will:
- Secure Raises & Ensure Fair Compensation:
The CTU wants a three-year contract. It will secure a 3% raise in the
first year, 2% raise in the second and 2% raise in the third, with the
option to extend to a 4th year by mutual agreement at another 3% raise.
- Defeat Merit Pay:
The CTU successfully fought the star of national misguided school
reform policies. The Board agreed to move away from "Differentiated
Compensation," which would have allowed them to pay one set of teachers
(based on unknown criteria) one set of pay versus another set of pay for
others.
- Preserve Steps & Lanes:
The new contract will preserve the full value of teachers and
paraprofessionals career ladder (steps); and, it will increased the
value of the highest steps (14, 15 and 16)
- Provide A Better School Day:
The Board will hire over 600 additional 'special' teachers in art,
music, physical education, world languages and other classes to ensure
students receive a better school day, a demand thousands of parents have
called for since last year
- Ensures Job Security: Creates a "CPS Hiring Pool," which demands that one-half of all of CPS hires must be displaced (laid-off) members.
- Adds An Anti-Bullying Provision: No
more bullying by principals and managerial personnel. The new language
will curtail some of the abusive practices that have run rampant in
many neighborhood schools.
- Paraprofessional & Clinicians Prep Time: The new contract will guarantee preps for clinicians.
- Racial Diversity:
The CTU continues to fight the District on its lay-off policies that
has led to a record number of African American educators being laid off
and eventually terminated by the District. The new contract will ensure
that CPS recruits a racially diverse teaching force.
- New Recall Rights & Tackling School Closings:
Acknowledging, the CTU will continue its ongoing legal and legislative
fight for a moratorium on all school closings, turnarounds and
phase-outs, the new contract requires teachers to "follow their
students" in all school actions. This will reduce instability among
students and educators. The contract will also have 10 months of "true
recall" to the same school if a position opens.
- Fairer Evaluation Procedures:
The new contract will limit CPS to 70% "teacher practice," 30% "student
growth" (or test scores)-which is the minimum by state law. It also
secures in the first year of implementation of the new evaluation
procedures there will be "no harmful consequences" for tenured teachers.
It also secures a new right-the right to appeal a rating.
- Reimbursement for School Supplies: The contract will require the District to reimburse educators for the purchase of school supplies up to $250.
- Additional Wrap-Around Services:
The Board agrees to commit to hire nurses, social workers and school
counselors if it gets new revenue. Over the past several months, the CTU
has identified several sources of new revenue, including the Tax
Increment Financing program.
- Books on Day One:
For the first time, the new contract will guarantee all CPS students
and educators have textbooks on day one and will not have to wait up to
six weeks for learning materials.
- Unified School Calendar:
The new contract will improve language on a unified calendar. The
District will have one calendar for the entire school district and get
rid of Track E and Track R schools. All students and teaching personnel
will begin on the same schedule.
- Reduced Paperwork: The new contract ensures the new paperwork requirements are balanced against reduction of previous requirements.
"This
Union has proven the Chicago labor movement is neither dormant nor
dead," Lewis continued. "Our members are on the line because we all
believe there is an assault on our profession and public education in
general. We will always do what is in the best interest of our students
and our own children, many of whom attend these schools. We showed our
solidarity and our strength, and with this new contract we have
solidified our political power and captured the imagination of the
nation. No one will ever look upon a teacher and think of him or her as a
passive, person to be bullied and walked on ever again."
###
The union is not on strike over matters governed exclusively by IELRA Section 4.5 and 12(b).
The
Chicago Teachers Union represents 30,000 teachers and educational
support personnel working in the Chicago Public Schools, and by
extension, the more than 400,000 students and families they serve. The
CTU is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the
Illinois Federation of Teachers and is the third largest teachers local
in the United States and the largest local union in Illinois. For more
information please visit CTU's website at www.ctunet.com.
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