Chicago Teachers Union Considering One-Day Strike
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Public School threat to close schools early over a lack of funding brought protesters to the Board of Education headquarters in the Loop Wednesday morning.
A small group of parents, school workers and union members protested outside Board Headquarters laying blame on Mayor Emanuel and Gov. Rauner for the funding mess, saying either could solve the problem and get the students through the school year, but ultimately the state needs to adequately fund public education.
The Board has threatened to close schools 17 days early without promised state funding. The Teachers Union called that "a massive contract violation."
Union VP Jesse Sharkey said,"it's rich with hypocrisy" to criticize the union for talking about a one-day strike to call attention to the funding issue.
Sharkey wondered whether he needed to get his mother-in-law to come and take care of his kids or whether he and other teachers need to start driving for Uber to make ends meet.
He's demanding to know what the plan is for the month of June.
Teachers and parents, he said, need to start planning now for the end of the school year.
When it was noted that there are often threats in a funding crisis, he said "the problem with the boy who cries wolf is one day the wolf finally comes."
