CPS' Recommended Contract 'Dead On Arrival,' Union Says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago teacher's contract proposal recommended by an independent fact-finder was immediately rejected by the union because "it was dead on arrival," the union's boss said Monday.
CTU President Karen Lewis said the deal was the same as the one initially turned down by the union last year. By rejecting the fact finder's recommendation, teachers could go on strike as soon as May 16.
"The CTU has bargained in good faith," Lewis said at a news conference at the teacher's union headquarters. "CPS has not."
Lewis said instead of "searching for cash under rocks and seat cushions" the School Board needs to find money that would lead to long-term stability for the system.
Lewis said the current contract offer would lower the standard of living for teachers at the end of the deal.
Among the demands, the union wants:
- Enforceable class size limits to prevent teacher layoffs; and
- A moratorium on new charter schools, which operate outside the union.
CEO Forrest Claypool said Saturday afternoon that he was "disappointed" that the union is talking about a strike.
On Monday he told reporters: "We will do everything in our power to avoid a strike."
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Lewis says the two sides are scheduled to meet later this week.
The Thursday meeting was a surprise to CPS CEO.
"I've not heard that before that they're willing to meet on Thursday," Claypool said. "That's good news. We will reach out and begin the discussions. We would like to meet today. We'd like to meet now and take every advantage of the 30 days before they have the legal right to strike."
Claypool says the district will have to borrow money to fulfill any offer work.
"We can't pay for anything absent a line of credit," he said.
No decision still leaves parents with lots of uncertainty.
"You're working, you have other things that you have to do so if you can't depend on their school system you have to find other options," said parent Nichole Echols.
Over the weekend, Claypool said CPS's finances are dire and that an agreement with teachers and changes to the state education funding formula are needed.
Claypool said the contract offer rejected by the union's bargaining team last January would have given teachers an average raise of 13.5 percent over the life of the contract, but would have meant that teachers would pay the full amount of their contributions to the teacher pension fund.
The union says the four-year contract offer would have frozen step increases and would have resulted in teachers taking home less at the end of the contract than today.
To view the fact finder's report, click here.
