News Archives: Tagged CTU strike

VICTORY: A List Of What Chicago’s Teachers Won In Their Strike   

Today, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) voted to end its strike. After seven long days of boisterous rallies and protests, the CTU agreed to the offer made by the city of Chicago through the leadership of Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

Naysayers condemned the strike from the onset as harmful for the district and harmful for kids, but a look at what teachers won shows that it actually did a lot for the schools. Here’s a list of just some of the highlights, drawn from a CTU draft of what its members agreed to:

  • A REASONABLE SCHOOL LENGTH: Chicago originally proposed a 7 hour, 40 minute school day that threatened to overwork students and teachers (especially without proper compensation). CTU won a 7 hour day for elementary school and 7 hour, 15 minute day for high school
  • FUNDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION IN ARTS AND MUSIC: CPS originally had proposed no funding for additional staff. CTU won funding for over 600 new positions, mostly for arts, music, and physical education — important outlets for a comprehensive education.
  • MAYORAL ACCOUNTABILITY: The original contract called for a length of five years, meaning that Mayor Rahm Emanuel would not be responsible for negotiating another one within his term. The new contract lasts for 3 years, meaning the next negotiation would be during the mayoral race and allow teachers and parents to hold the mayor accountable.
  • KEEPING HEALTH CARE COSTS DOWN: The original contract would’ve had a nearly 40 percent increase on families and couples. Now, there will be a freeze on health care premiums and co-pays for all CTU members.
  • FAIR EVALUATIONS: 70 percent of a teacher’s quality rating will be based on their practice rather than student test scores.
  • A MORE FAIR PAY RAISE: Originally, CPS was only offering a 2 percent pay raise with no guaranteed raise for the following four years. Now, there will be a 3 percent pay raise and a 2 percent raise each of the next couple years.
  • MORE MONEY FOR SUPPLIES; TEXTBOOKS ON DAY ONE: Originally CPS was only offering $100 for supplies per teacher. Now that will be raised to $250. Additionally, there will be guaranteed textbook distribution on the first day of classes, for the first time ever.

These are just a few of the concessions that CTU won. Read the full list here.

This was a hard-fought victory for PCCC and the labor movement at large. Let CTU’s example stand for all workers: when you’re being mistreated, if you fight back, you can win. PCCC is airing the following ad to show why unions fought this fight:


You can help air it in Chicago by clicking here. 

Posted on September 18, 2012 at 9:52pm by . Posted in , , . 33 comments. Leave a response.

Hedge Funders Launch TV Attack On Chicago’s Teachers — Help Us Fight Back   

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) strike is entering its seventh day, and many observers expect  the labor action to end this week and result in a victory for students and teachers.

But the forces of school privatization aren’t sitting out the fight. A group calling itself Education Reform Advocacy Now is airing a 30-second commercial in Chicago attacking the strike. Watch it:

To start with, the commercial itself is simply misleading. It implies that the CTU opposes a longer school day, whereas the union itself actually agreed to a longer school day as long as teachers are fairly compensated for it.

It’s also important to note who it is who is running the ad. Education Reform Now Advocacy is the 501(c)4 tax status organization run by the same folks who run Democrats For Education Reform (DFER), a group that has openly advocated for charter schools to use funds that are supposed to be used to educate students to instead lobby the government.

Democrats for Education Reform’s board consists almost entirely of individuals from the finance industry (mostly hedge funds). Education Reform Now Advocacy is based not in Chicago — like the teachers it is bashing — but in New York City.

Education Reform Now’s last disclosure filing with the state of New York was in December 2010. Interestingly, the disclosure shows a quarter million dollar loan from Charles Ledley, a hedge fund kingpin who made millions by betting against the subprime mortgage market.

While most of the money from DFER and associated groups comes from Big Finance based outside of Chicago, one group it certainly does not represent is teachers and parents, like those who are fighting for a fair deal from the city today.

We’re not letting this stand. We’ve put together our own ad to fight back — and it features real teachers, students, and parents fighting for their public schools. Check it out:

 

Don’t let this group of financial elites control the debate in Chicago. Click here to pitch in $3 to run our ad featuring parents and teachers standing with the Chicago Teachers Union.

Posted on September 18, 2012 at 3:45pm by . Posted in , , . 2 comments. Leave a response.

Rahm Fails To Crush Strike As Judge Declines To Hold Hearing On Injunction   

A Chicago Teachers Union action. (Photo credit: Flickr user JeanPaulHolmes)

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) strike enters its sixth day today. Negotiators are reportedly nearing a resolution, but the CTU wants to give its members ample time to weigh in on any proposed agreement.

Late yesterday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel moved to request a temporary restraining order that would force teachers to go back to work. Emanuel’s argument is that state law does not allow teachers to strike over non-compensation issues (click here to find out some of the reasons the strike is happening).

A few minutes ago, Cook County Circuit Court Peter Flynn denied this request. He said through a spokesman that he may consider instead holding the hearing on Wednesday, when many observers believe the strike may actually end.

“CPS’ spur-of-the-moment decision to seek injunctive relief some six days later appears to be a vindictive act instigated by the mayor,” said the CTU in a statement. “This attempt to thwart our democratic process is consistent with Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel’s bullying behavior toward public school educators.”

Posted on September 17, 2012 at 2:15pm by . Posted in , , . 2 comments. Leave a response.

POLL: 66 Percent Of Chicago Parents With Kids In Public Schools Support The Strike   

One of the criticisms levied against the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) strike is that it’s bad for the community because it is keeping kids out of school and burdens parents.

But a new independent poll finds that those parents are actually quite supportive of the strike. A poll for Capital Fax conducted by We Ask America finds that 66 percent of Chicago’s parents who have kids in Chicago Public Schools support the strike.

Asked who was most to blame for the strike, “just over 34 percent pointed their finger at Mayor Rahm Emanuel, while 29 percent blamed the Chicago Teachers Union and 19 percent blamed the school board,” meaning that most respondents to the poll blame management.

Posted on September 14, 2012 at 11:30am by . Posted in , . 3 comments. Leave a response.

CHARTS: American Teachers Work Longer And Get Paid Less Than Teachers In Most Other Rich Countries   

(Photo credit: Flickr user Bonnie Brown)

The nation’s eyes are focused on Chicago as 29,000 teachers and support staff remain on strike in a protest against substandard schools and reneged pay raises.

As the Chicago Teachers Union soldiers on, it’s important to remember the plight of teachers nationwide. The New York Time’s Catherine Rampell has put together a few charts showing that American teachers work longer for less pay than teachers in most other developed countries.

Rampell notes that the “average primary-school teacher in the United States earns about 67 percent of the salary of a average college-educated worker in the United States. The comparable figure is 82 percent across the overall O.E.C.D. [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development].”

Here’s a chart showing the ratio of salary between middle school teachers compared to full-time, full-year college-educated workers. American teachers fair better than those in Estonia, but are worse off than the average of rich countries in the OECD:

Next, let’s take a look at teaching hours. As you can see, Chile and Argentina are the only countries where teachers work longer hours:

If Chicago’s teachers succeed, they may inspire other educators to follow suit. By the looks of these numbers, they certainly have something to protest over.

Posted on September 13, 2012 at 9:05am by . Posted in , . 7 comments. Leave a response.

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News’s Parent Company Has Contracts With Chicago Public Schools   

Photo credit: Flickr user Global Mitch

There’s one news outlet that has been very unsympathetic to the striking teachers and staff in Chicago, to say the least. Fox News has been blasting the Chicago Teachers Union since the strike began; host Greta Van Sustern proudly proclaimed that “CHILDREN LOSE!” on her blog as teachers began their actions.

But in its spree of teacher-bashing, there’s one very serious conflict of interest that Fox News has failed to disclose.

Let’s start in 2010. That’s when Fox News’s parent company, News Corporation, acquired the education technology company known called Wireless Generation by purchasing a 90 percent stake in the company. Soon afterwards, former New York City schools chief Joel Klein — who had a history of warring with unions — became head of the education division at News Corp.

News Corporation’s involvement in a hacking scandal eventually lost Wireless Generation its planned contract with the state of New York.

But in May of 2012, the education technology company found another willing buyer — the city of Chicago. The Board of Education of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) — the district   that CTU is striking against — approved the purchase of education technology services from Wireless Generation. Here’s a snapshot from the Board’s agenda meeting:

If you click on the two agreements listed, you’ll see that they’re for $1,700,000 each.

We contacted Wireless Generation to see if they have any other contracts with CPS, but we have yet to get a response.

Americans want to trust the media and hope that it can provide thoughtful and accurate information that is uncorrupted by secret conflicts of interest. Fox News is betraying that trust.

Posted on September 12, 2012 at 1:32pm by . Posted in , , . 4 comments. Leave a response.

Republicans For Rahm: Chicago Mayor’s War On Unions Earns Love From Right Wing   

Photo credit: Flickr user juggernautco

Rahm Emanuel is having a bad week. His anti-worker antics — like forcing the cancellation of a promised 4 percent pay raise — have brought about a massive teacher strike, and tens of thousands of people are marching against his policies.

But there is one group of people that have fallen in love with Rahm’s policies: Republicans and the far-right. Here’s a short and far from comprehensive list of some of the praise he’s gotten:

  • The Washington Examiner: The teachers union is waging a “small war against Mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.” [9/10]
  • Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan: “I’ve known Rahm Emanuel for years. He’s a former colleague of mine. Rahm and I have not agreed on every issue or on a lot of issues, but Mayor Emanuel is right today in saying that this teacher’s union strike is unnecessary and wrong.” [9/10]
  • News Corporation Owner And Fox News Kingpin Rupert Murdoch: “Three cheers for Rahm Emanuel standing up in Chicago.” [9/11]
  • Former Republican Presidential Contender Mayor Rudy Giuliani: ”I hope he wins.” [9/11]

It’s clear whose side Rahm is taking — Rupert Murdoch and Paul Ryan’s.

Posted on September 12, 2012 at 11:05am by . Posted in , , . 5 comments. Leave a response.

Rhee Organization Parrots Corporate Front Group’s False Claim Of Low Chicago Class Sizes   

Rhee’s organization has been intent on fighting teachers unions, even by parroting false figures. (Photo credit: Flickr user angela n.)

Anti-labor education activist Michelle Rhee likes to say that she isn’t partisan — even though she has worked with Republican governors to crush unions.

Today, the New York chapter of her advocacy organization — Students First — parroted talking points from the Heartland Institute, a global warming denying corporate front group.

In response to concerns from Chicago parents and teachers that students are being packed into over-sized classrooms, the StudentsFirstNY Twitter account retweeted a Heartland Institute advocate claiming that the average class size in Chicago is 16 students:

This statistic is wildly lower than any credible estimate of class sizes in Chicago. So we decided to look into it.

If you go to the page from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) dealing with Chicago, you’ll find that it actually doesn’t list class sizes. Rather, it has a teacher-to-student ratio. That ratio is 16.44 — this is presumably where the Heartland Institute staffer got the number from.

The problem is, a teacher-to-student ratio is not the same thing as class size. The districts and states that report data to the NCES label a variety of support staff and tertiary individuals as teachers, including a lot of people who do not have sole responsibility for a classroom. The NCES itself admits that this ratio is not the same as class size. Check out this page of “Fast Facts” — you’ll see that NCES numbers show a teacher-pupil ratio of 15.4 in 2009 but class sizes between 20-23 over roughly the same time period. Simply put, the Heartland Institute employee is comparing apples to oranges.

More reliable numbers can be found from the Illinois Board of Education. This Chicago Teachers Union report cites those numbers, which estimate that class sizes are more in the range of 25 with poorer schools having far more students. Keep in mind that Chicago’s kindergarten and first grade classrooms have larger class sizes than 95 percent of the state.

It’s telling that Michelle Rhee’s organization would parrot such unreliable numbers in its crusade to crush teachers unions. Don’t let them get away with it. Share this post on social media and join the fight with PCCC by signing up to stay updated on our activism using the box at the top.

 

 

 

Posted on September 11, 2012 at 6:20pm by . Posted in , , , . 10 comments. Leave a response.

New Poll Finds Plurality Of Chicago Voters Support Striking Teachers   

A new poll just released finds that the 29,000 teachers and support staff of the Chicago Teachers Union that just went on strike have a lot of support from the city of Chicago:

In the live survey done by McKeon & Associates, a Joliet-based opinion polling company, 47 percent [of registered voters] support the strike, 39 percent oppose it and 14 percent didn’t know. The poll has a margin of error of 3.8 percent.

These poll numbers should serve as a warning to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other city officials who so far have not been willing to offer a fair deal to Chicago’s teachers and the students and schools they are fighting for.

Posted on September 11, 2012 at 2:40pm by . Posted in , , . 58 comments. Leave a response.

Chicago Schools Respond To Our Reporting With Excuse Making   

Yesterday, we reported that in addition to overfilled classrooms and leaky roofs, one of the issues that brought Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) to the point of striking is the widespread lack of air conditioning in schools. During a heat wave this summer, 21 summer schools without air conditioning actually cancelled classes out of concern for their students’ health.

On Twitter, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system responded to our reporting on the air conditioning situation:

In a follow-up tweet, CPS insisted that “in extreme heat we make sure multiple fans are on, cold water’s available & move students to cooler areas.”

First of all, it’s important to note that no one is calling for the air conditioning problems to be solved tomorrow. The teachers of the CTU understand that these things take time and money.

The problem is that the Chicago Public Schools have been avoiding the issue by sidestepping it in negotiations and making no substantive commitments. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel even callously dismissed teacher, student, and parent concerns about lack of air conditioning. ”It’s 71 degrees outside,” he said, either forgetting that summer will come around again or intentionally mimicking the non-credible arguments used by climate-change deniers during the winter.

While CPS is complaining about money concerns, it is also laying the groundwork to shift as much as $70 million away from the public system and to charter schools (which just happen to be mostly non-unionized). It also is planning to significantly lengthen the school day (without properly compensating teachers for the extended day). The city has used Tax Increment Financing to take money out of property tax funds and use them to funnel millions of dollars to wealthy property developers in a scheme the Chicago Reader has called a “boondoggle.” It’s almost as if the city has money for everything but improving the current public school system.

Lastly, insisting that it has schools that are 100+ years old is not a point in its favor. If the Chicago Public School system has schools that have been around for decades after the advent of modern air conditioning and still has classrooms too hot for students to sit in, it’s not doing a good job.

Posted on September 11, 2012 at 1:42pm by . Posted in , , . 7 comments. Leave a response.