The CPS demand of a 7% pay cut is a retaliatory move in the face of the union’s political success against Rahm.
I have always made it a rule never to tell other teachers what to do when it comes to their contracts. But I am breaking that rule today.
Not that they need my advice, but I would recommend a no to CPS’ demand for a 7% pay cut.
Here is the CTU response:
The Chicago Board of Education (BOE) has rejected nearly every education- and student-based contract proposal offered by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), even when those recommendations had little to no costs associated with them. In addition, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s hand-picked board is demanding the city’s public school teachers, paraprofessionals and clinicians agree to a whopping 7 percent pay reduction and sporadic increases in health insurance premiums.
The CTU is insulted by the BOE’s demand and maintains the city of Chicago has created a $1.5 billion fiscal crisis in order to justify the ongoing neglect and its failure to address critical needs of students. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is “broke on purpose” said CTU President Karen Lewis, and the mayor is “lying in wait” to raise property taxes and implement regressive taxes on vital services to working families.
In the meantime, Mayor Emanuel refuses to explore revenue proposals that hold LaSalle Street and banks accountable for the $1.2 billion in toxic swap liabilities they have siphoned from the city. Instead of calling for more revenue by demanding the wealthy pay more in taxes, he seeks to saddle present and future generations of Chicagoans with even more debt.
CPS officials are negotiating the new labor agreement under the cloud of a federal investigation into a $20.5 million no-bid contract that appears to be expanding to The CPS demand of a 7% pay cut is a retaliatory move in the face of the union’s political success against Rahm. | Fred Klonsky:
