Chicago Teachers Union Rejects CPS Contract Offer

Larissa M. Tyler | As of Wednesday, February 3, 2016

CTU President Karen Lewis
CTU President Karen Lewis

If over the past year, progress had been made between the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in regards to cutting an “acceptable” deal for teachers, it came to a screeching halt on Monday after the CTU rejected a four-year contract offer from the city.

Indeed, it has been at least one year since the two sides started negotiating a new contract which arguably is enough time to draft a suitable agreement. But CTU officials say that the lack of trust was the reason they rebuked the proposal.

“The real problem is the lack of trust in CPS," CTU President Karen Lewis said outside the union's headquarters Monday night…There is no guarantee that the promises that are made will be promises that can be kept," Lewis continued.

Lewis’ remarks might be predicated off of the fact that Ill. Gov. Bruce Rauners announced last month, a proposal to take over the CPS system and allow it to file for bankruptcy.

The contract presented by CPS according to published reports, includes the following:

Teachers would have received raises of 2.75 percent next school year and then 3 percent for each of the next two years. In return, the teachers would pay their entire 9 percent pension contribution, including the 7 percent the district agreed decades ago to fund. Which means that long-time teachers will start paying 3.5 percent more toward their pension starting in July and then the entire 7 percent as of July 2017. CPS is also asking the CTU’s 27,000 members to pay part of their health insurance premium, beginning with 0.8 percent next year and another 0.7 percent the next year.

Chicago Public School CEO Forest Claypool released the following statement expressing disappointment in the CTU’s refusal to accept the contract.

"Despite unprecedented financial problems that threaten our classrooms, CPS reached a tentative agreement with CTU leadership after 14 months of negotiations - including 18 straight days at the end of talks,” the statement read. “This agreement provided pay raises, guaranteed job security and met the union's key demands, including restrictions on charter school expansion, raises for seniority in addition to cost-of-living increases, and more classroom autonomy for teachers. While we are disappointed by today's result, CPS remains committed to reaching an agreement with our partners at the CTU that is in the best interest of our students, parents, teachers and city."

At this point, a 105-day fact-finding period must commence and at its conclusion, teachers can lawfully strike if no agreement is reached. If the union will wait that long... that's yet to be seen.

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