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CTU shows strength at rally
By: Rebecca Harris and Sarah Karp / May 23, 2012
Teachers leave Wednesday night's Chicago Teachers Union rally.
To read tweets from this event on Storify, click here. For Catalyst Chicago’s interactive timeline of the negotiations and possible next steps, click here.
Thousands of Chicago Teachers Union members held a boisterous rally at the Auditorium Theatre on Wednesday afternoon, with many teachers showing support for a possible strike in the fall.
Union officials announced on Tuesday that a strike vote would likely be taken before the end of the year and that 95 percent of the members who voted in a union survey would reject the current CPS proposal. CPS argues, however, that the union is inaccurately portraying the district’s offer to teachers.
“We respect our teachers and the work they do on behalf of our kids every day. They deserve a raise for that work, but our children can’t afford a strike. That’s why we are working with an independent negotiator to find a compromise proposal that fairly compensates our teachers and starts the school year on time,” schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard said in a statement.
Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, was among those who spoke at the rally.
“The next time I come back… I want to see a fair contract,” she said. “I come to you for, and with the support of, 1.5 million people. If all those with silver spoons in their mouths can get help, what about the children of this city and the people who educate them?”
Weingarten said that she had just come from a conference on labor-management collaboration an hour away where 100 districts were represented. “But here in the second city of America, we have to rally to even be heard,” she said. “I will come back every time you need me.”
Earlier at the board of education meeting, the advocacy group Stand for Children held a press conference featuring parents who don’t want to see a strike occur.
Michael Butz, who has a son at Disney, said that if the teachers strike, parents will be left scrambling to figure out what they should do with their children. Like many, both Butz and his wife work.
“I am frustrated and disappointed with the rhetoric,” he said. “It does not help the children…. My son wants to be in school succeeding and learning.”
Harold Trujillo, a parent of two, added: “The talk of a strike brings stress to families and to people. In the name of the parents come together in a humble way.”
Stand for Children, which is a national organization with a local chapter, pushed for the passage of Senate Bill 7. The bill establishes a process for calling a strike and requires 75 percent of the teacher union membership authorize a strike. Currently, CPS and CTU are in the fact-finding stage of the process in which an independent arbitrator considers both proposals and issues a report. That report is due by July 15.
Stand for Children Chicago Director Juan Jose Gonzalez said that the organization thinks it is disingenuous for teachers to call a strike authorization vote before the fact-finding report is released.
“It is not true to the process,” he said.
CTU officials have said the high threshold for approval of a strike authorization vote forces them to schedule it before the end of the school year. Waiting until the summer would make it difficult, if not impossible, to get all members to vote. The way the law works a non-vote is essentially a “no” vote.
Gonzalez would not speak to whether the Senate Bill 7 inadvertently created the need for an imminent strike authorization vote. Instead, he insisted the bill’s purpose was to make the process more transparent.
Teachers at the rally were given stickers and hand-held red paper fans that doubled as signs, with check marks in boxes on them -- likely an allusion to a coming strike vote – next to the phrases “YES to small class sizes” and “YES to well-funded neighborhood schools.” Popcorn and union T-shirts were on sale in the lobby.
When CTU President Karen Lewis took the stage, the entire auditorium shook with stomping feet. “Why are we here?” she asked the crowd, part way through her speech. “Strike!” someone yelled, and it became a chant – “Strike! Strike! Strike!”
Lewis then mocked CPS officials and Mayor Emanuel. “I think it’s very interesting that the spokesmodel for CPS says we are being too aggressive,” she says. She recounted old anecdotes that accused Emanuel of swearing at her, and made fun of Emanuel saying, over and over, “I want the school day long.”
“They took $600 million out of the capital budget,” Lewis complained. “They don’t intend to fix anything.”
The rally was followed by a 6,500-strong march to CPS headquarters that joined with a protest of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
Amy Dollarhite, a 9th-grade math teacher at TEAM Englewood Academy, said she came to the rally because “our union rep at school told us about this, that it was important for us to come and stand up for our rights.”
She added: “We’d like to be treated with the same respect as any other professionals. I don’t know any lawyer or doctor [office] that stays open more hours without being paid for it.”
Sheila Finley, a teacher at Jamieson Elementary, echoed a concern of many older teachers that “I’ve spent a lot of time and money to be educated and be a better teacher… [but] everything I worked for to earn, like my [stored-up sick] days, I’m going to lose all that.”
As members filed into the theater, a video showed CTU members reminiscing about past strikes, and members stood up and started clapping to an old-style version of “Solidarity Forever.” When “We Shall Not Be Moved” played, the video switched to a slideshow of the union’s leadership. Next, the video segued into pop hits like “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” and slideshows of CTU pickets.
CTU Recording Secretary Kristine Mayle argued that Chicago Board of Education members “want to turn teaching into a low-wage, high-turnover profession.”
“I am willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure our members get a fair contract – are you?” she asked the audience.
“Yes,” the theater bellowed.
One video that played had messages of support from leaders of Chicago’s SEIU and UNITE-HERE locals. Another showed parents and other Chicagoans talking about the positive impact of teachers on their lives.
Speakers from 19th Ward Parents and Raise Your Hand also appeared at the rally. Raise Your Hand’s Matt Farmer, in a fiery speech, noted that the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools have seven fine arts teachers. He also quoted the schools’ director criticizing standardized testing and praising teacher unions.
Later, Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery spoke in support of the CTU. “When the current fight is over you will be prouder than you ever have before; you will have more power than you ever had before,” he said, his voice drowned out by cheering.
next step!
time to finish off the ballerina and his puppet!
Yesterday was exactly how American democracy should work
The people's voice, the people's power should decide what our government does; where our society goes.
The broken process IS Stand for Children's process. Being a millionaire shouldn't let you buy political voice. They shouldn't be able to pay to dictate over "other people's children".
It's not just education. We need to rise up and take back our country and our political system.
Irony and Complexity
I find it very ironic that IFT President Dan Montgomery spoke at the rally last night. While it would be absurd for the CTU facing a potential strike not to attempt to solidify its support from the IFT, President Montgomery’s role in relation to the passage of SB7 was clearly not insignificant. It needs to be recalled that the IFT agreed to allow a law to be passed that significantly reduced the collective bargaining rights of one of the largest locals in the entire AFT, but protected IFT teachers outside of Chicago from those changes to collective bargaining rights. Both the IFT and IEA as statewide organizations protected the majority of teacher’s collective bargaining rights in Illinois by effectively forcing the CTU to make huge concessions in relation to SB7.
To be honest I am greatly encouraged that Mayor Emanuel has indicated in the last 24 hours that his office will play some role in relation to the fact-finding panel process. But it needs to be pointed out that SB7 explicitly prohibits that panel from making any recommendations for a contract settlement in areas related to what can be called work rules (in SB7 they are called Section 4.5 issues). So the Mayor needs in my opinion to open up those areas CPS calls on its collective bargaining information page areas in which it has “exclusive decision making authority.” If the Mayor agrees to open this door it greatly increases the possibility of not having a strike.
Rod Estvan
To Rod
First Congratulations to the CTU on a great rally. Secondly Rod what can the community do to push back on SB7 so that teachers will actually gain something significant from the strike. We are organizing parents to present an option to legislators , maybe another bill or more amendments to SB7. We would love to hear from you regarding this. Id appreciate and e-mail @rcchatonda@yahoo.com. CAUSE meets every Tuesday and would love to hear from you.
re: SB7 revisions
To be honest I can not imagine the Illinois General Assembly will touch this legislation this session. But I do think the lessons we learn about how completely confused this legislation has made the current contract bargaining needs to be communicated for the next session in particular to:
Senator Kimberly A. Lightford
Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
and whoever is your own State Rep or Senator.
Rod Estvan
Why does a rule-maker from Maywood get to tell Chicago citizens
what to do? We used to likeyou Sen Lightford--not anymore. What did Stand give to you?
IFT President
I loved the rally, dont get me wrong. Especially the CTU people. However, seeing the IFT saying that the "unions" are behind you, made me a little mad. Why did he allow CPS get the extra shackles of SB7 500k provisions (ie 75% rule). Also, the lady from New York, I heard that she was singing the praised of Arnie Duncan. Also, Jessie? He seemed to be Afraid to mention Rahms name or Duncans name or Race to the Top. Rahm, Obama, Duncan, and Race to the Top all needed to be "given" their due at this rally. However, I liked the rally and it was awesome to see nurses, and 99%, and office workers cheering us on!!!!! It was nice!! Today at work, I felt a little less insignificant!!!
Wednesday Rally
Hi All,
I was at the rally, and it was absolutely amazing! The Aud. Theater was packed. I have never seen Karen Lewis speak so powerfully. Kristine Mayle was absolutely spell-binding (not to mention drop-dead gorgeous, IMO). I was reminded, sitting in an upper balcony, of Paddy Chayefsky's character Howard Beale (played in the film version by Peter Finch) encouraging his newscast's audience to open a window and shout, "I'm goddamned mad and I'm not going to take it anymore!" This appears to now be almost precisely the mood of most CTU members.
The others were also very powerful and effective. One of the points made by Matt Farmer was that many other school districts have reaped huge benefits from collaboration between unions and management. This is an important point that is not only very true (check the literature on highly effective schools), but also one that the average Chicagoan can understand and appreciate. The CPS has apparently never heard of the Japanese model of management, wherein workers are treated with respect, their input is sought and given serious consideration, and work output, quality, and worker morale are all significantly improved as a result.
The mayor and CPS committed (IMO) what seems in retrospect to be a serious blunder by trying to pressure schools to adopt a longer school day earlier this year. The main effect of so doing was to stongly mobilize CTU teachers and support staff in a major way behind their union well in advance of contract negotiations. Union members often volunteer that they've been setting aside funds for months as a strike reserve. Do I think a 75% vote in favor of strking if the CTU and its Executive Board recommends taking a strike vote? I think it's a real possibility such could be achieved if the current stalemate continues.
Tomorow I will share a few more thoughts aboui the present stitiationl
CTU Rally
Rahm......are you watching now!
IFT President and SB7
There are many who made mistakes supporting and signing off on SB7 in fact, all the Illinois unions and the CTU played a role in signing the bill. If we can forgive Karen Lewis for her debacle, than we can forgive the IFT President.
Stand for Children's fine work in getting SB7 passed has in fact
the possibility of a strike far higher than it ever has been. This law added on to a pre-existing law that allowed CPS to prohibit bargaining for numerous areas if it chose to and under SB7 all work rules inclusive of the length of the school day and year were added. SB7 even blocks the formal fact finding panel from looking at these "permissive" issues. For Mr. Gonzalez to make such an statement is really over the top. I think Alexander posted this to get me agitated before I drive 6 hours to northern Wisconsin for the long weekend. But, alas just this post has served to calm me, nothing like a good denunciation.
Rod Estvan
Strike Vote Prior to End of School Year
Rod,
I'm not sure which of Gonzalez's remarks agitated you. His point that taking a strike vote prior to the fact-finding is premature seems reasonable to me. Karen's explanation for conducting a strike vote before summer break is, to me, disingenuous. She wants an early vote so that CTU members will still be in daily contact with one another and heighten strike support. I think she could still get a 75% pro-strike vote even after the fact-finding. On the other hand, CPS has hardly played fair with the union thus far...
Two things
1) It's not disingenuous to take a strike before fact finding if the fact finding does not even address the issues that most educators are angry about.
2) It's jacked up that the group that set the fire is now complaining that others aren't doing enough to put it out. Go swim around in your Scrooge McDuck pool of money and let actual stakeholders in Chicago Public Schools work this out. You've done enough damage already.
Xian,
I thought the fact-finding was to address the main issues separating the CTU and CPS from reaching an agreement. Why do you suggest this is not the case? Thanks.
If the strike authorization
If the strike authorization vote is successful there is a very simple way to avoid a strike: CPS and the mayor can offer a better contract.
The fact finding may very well result in a workable agreement. A strike authorization vote does nothing to prevent that.
In fact, a strike authorization vote now (or soon) will do more to prevent a strike than the legislation (SB7) that created this tremendous imbalance of power that threatens the very existence of public education in the city of Chicago.
SB7 has actually increased the number of strikes in Illinois since its passage. And let's not forget, there hasn't been a teacher strike in Chicago for 25 years. And then SB7 came along. Hmm.
Fact finding is extremely
Fact finding is extremely limited in its scope. It essentially deals only with compensation and benefits. CPS is not required to negotiate over a whole host of issues incredibly important to teachers and students. There are two reasons for this: Section 4.5 of the IL School Code and SB7.
Given the absurdity of many CPS priorities in the midst of a fiscal crisis, restricting bargaining to compensation when there is no money for more of it is incredibly damaging to the negotiating process.
For instance, teachers might trade smaller raises (or no raises) in exchange for improvements in working and learning conditions. Those conditions are currently completely off the table thanks to our legislators and CPS.
Functionally, there is simply no incentive for CPS to bargain over anything but wages. And there is hardly reason to bargain over wages since CPS and the state have run district finances into the ground.
Exactly. Thanks
I'd especially highlight the last sentence. Not a single educator had any say in the vast majority of the recent budgets and cronyist waste of the last years. We didn't borrow $600-$1 billion a year to build charter schools and affluent schools on top of themselves. We didn't sign off hundred million dollar initiatives that actually hurt student achievement like IDS, and we didn't accept bribes and unhealthy food for kids. We didn't buy the worst software email platform in human history for tens of millions of dollars, and we didn't turnaround the same schools over and over and fire the staffs we fired whole staffs to hire and then fire. We didn't borrow hundreds of millions of dollars from the connected banks related to the board and then accept ridiculously risky interest rate swaps that cost the children of the city millions.
We didn't put hundreds of millions of dollars of school money into TIFs.
We didn't shuffle homeless kids around like hot potatoes and we didn't throw Special Education students into aide less waters and say, "It will make them stronger."
So if we are going to sacrifice (and we already have to the tune of billions with pension defunding and our raises), then I think we (the educators, students and parents of the city) should get to run future budgets.
The business folks who were supposed to fly in and save us like Superman turned out to be Lex Luthors.
XIAN
I knew there was a reason I've a;ways liked you. What a brilliant analysis, so true.
To Xian
O.K., then, what's the point of a strike if so many issues of importance are off the bargaining table? Presumably, leverage. But on what issues besides compensation?
Leverage on the welfare of kids
If CPS refuses to even discuss the issues that have been damaging students for what seems like forever, it is our moral imperative to use whatever means necessary to bring CPS to the table on those issues.
I would like to be paid more, keep a decent pension and benefits. But I'm far more concerned about class size, proper access to a teacher from the first day of school, equitable facilities and many other things.
To Xian
In an erlier post of yours, you said that CPS "is not required" to bargain over many issues of concern to teachers. Now, you seem to be suggesting that a strike could force ("require") them to do so. Am I understanding you correctly?
To Xian
I'd like to know if a strike can force CPS to negotiate on items forbidden by the legislative bill Senate Bill 7. If so can you explain how?
There's three categories of
There's three categories of issues:
1) Mandatory bargaining
2) Permissive bargaining
3) Prohibited
Nothing short of a change in state law would cause CPS to negotiate 3, 1 they have to negotiate.
2 they generally just treat like 3. But they could discuss them at any time if they chose to. Through leveraging--whether via strike or otherwise--the union could pressure them to discuss category 2.
And before the fabricators from S4C and other groups claim this amounts to adults caring about adults, most of the sections in 2 involved CTU trying to put pressure on CTU to do something decent for students.
Very Interesting--
Thanks, Xian!
Some additional thoughts re: the CTU
While I agree that last Wednesday's rally in the Loop was inspiring, it was also largely a reaction to CPS and the mayor's arguments. What is also needed for the union to be pro-active. Some suggestions:
All the data of which I am aware shows school improvement to depend upon cooperation/collaboration between administrators and teaching staff. Teacher-leaders will be needed for this improvement, which will mean a sharing of power within schools themselves.
There is a fairly high percentage of underperforming principals who have been kept in their positions due to collusion with influential members of the LSC (including many teachers). This cannot be tolerated. Either the CTU itself or some independent agency should survey teachers about their principals and school climates. The attempts by CCSR to do so are totally inadequate due to teacher fears of confidentiality breaches.
The implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) is still at square one in most schools nearly two years after it was mandated to begin. This should not be tolerated, and the CTU should dialogue with districts similar to ours who are successfully RTI-ing and advance proposals to address this imporrtant issue.
It is time for the CTU to face the fact that 80% of the kids in our district are minority and (often) from impoverished backgrounds and living circumstances. Because of this, a longer school day for most schools is imperative to provide the additional preventive and remedial instruction needed to make a real difference. The amount of remedial instruction needed has been found to relate directly to the degree the student is behind his/her peers. In some cases, direct instructional time in, say, reading may need to be doubled or even tripled in order to permit the student to
"catch up" to his peers. Yet, the CTU (and certainly CPS) seems to be completely unaware of the research on this matter.
Just to elaborate a bit
Karen Lewis has repeatedly criticized CPS for not having a "plan" for the use of the additional time a longer school day will create. Why doesn't she talk about the research on remedial education and the need for substantial increases in instructional time for many of our students? Let the CTU advance a plan instead of appearing flat-footed on this? (Not to mention the fact that many additional teaching personnel will be needed to accomplish this!)
Lobewiper, the CTU has an
Lobewiper, the CTU has an extensive positive agenda that is referenced at every speech and meeting and rally to which I've been. And ultimately neither teachers nor the CTU are opposed to just a longer day. The problem is that CPS refuses to a) pay for it, b) in lieu of pay find other ways to compensate employees for it, and, most importantly, c) come up with anything that would actually *improve* the school day.
You may not know this if you're not a teacher, but my students will have lost 53 days of instruction this year due to CPS. No, not to holidays or PD days or any of that. They lost it to standardized testing, a lack of full staffing on day 1, and ridiculous scheduling, for instance, that puts final exams and final grades a full week before the end of the school year. These are exactly the types of things teachers want to see changed. CPS has refused.
Check out the CTU positive agenda. The evidence based research document is called "The Schools Chicago's Students Deserve". It even addresses how the important improvements it references can be paid for.
Thanks, Veteran Teacher,
I didn't know those things and will check them out!
Instructional Time
Lobewiper,
Yes instructional time needs to be increased and class size needs to be reduced. However, children ARE NOT robots to be prog"Rahmed". They can lear and enjoy only so much. Do you rememember when you were in school? Did you want to be there all the time. These children are no different. They can take only so much informaion in one year. Childre, rich or poor, need to rest and relax and digest information. If you have been living in poverty in a broken household, do you think 3 hours more of reading a day is going to help? They have a saturration point. Teachers have a saturation point! We need REAL research ...not just the STUFF that is being fed by the research dejour! Our schools are being run by Colombia college in New York and NWEA testing company! It's insane. It isnt just CTU dragging their feet. But taking an ISAT test for a week, then being told it doesnt count gets frustrating. Then teach Illinois State Standards for ten years and then be told They dont work. Now we have to get NWEA results and the new "COMMON CORE" into thier little heads, until we are told these dont work?? It isnt as simple as you think. All why we see 5 CEO's and 4 principals...the LSC choices are just as bad as the choices forced by CPS....many are just mouth boxes for Brizzard (because they want to keep their jobs). it is insanity!! Not just CTU its CPS, CTU, ILlinois, USA, Race to the Top, NCLB all the hands in the pot!!!! And the pot is BOILING!!!
Not to mention the test are simply used to justify jobs!
Everyone including the students know that the test at this point are meaningless. They are simply used to justify administrators jobs, fire veteran teachers and Turn-Around schools. Whatever happened to "Children First'?
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