CTU's Lewis Threatens Strike After Contract Talks Rebooted by CPS
RIVER NORTH — The president of the Chicago Teachers Union threatened a strike Friday after Chicago Public Schools abruptly rebooted talks on a contract extension.
CTU President Karen Lewis said teachers could take a strike vote at any time, although state statutes would most likely delay a walkout until the winter.
Primary among the issues was the demand from Chicago Public Schools that teachers pay their entire 9 percent pension contribution, after previously paying 2 percent with the district making up the difference — a negotiated contract concession dating back to the '80s.
Lewis said paying the full contribution would amount to a 7 percent cut in take-home pay.
"To take a 7 percent pay cut would be strike-worthy," Lewis said in a news conference at CTU headquarters in the Merchandise Mart.
"Seven percent is huge," she added. "It's not acceptable to our members."
CTU estimated the cost of the so-called pension pickup at $140 million annually, or about $4,000 to a second-year teacher making $55,000.
Lewis said she was shocked that talks on a one-year contract extension broke off Thursday, when CPS suddenly changed course and took a one-year deal off the table to seek a new multiyear contract.
"Withdrawing this one-year contract is simply wrong," Lewis said, calling it "disingenuous, disturbing and destructive."
"That room was frozen when we walked in there," Lewis said of Thursday's negotiation session. "They were a little upset themselves," she added, because all had thought they were close to a deal.
"We were on the verge of reaching an agreement," said CTU attorney Robert Bloch. "Unfortunately, we must now go back to the drawing board and start over again."
According to Bloch, CPS negotiators rebooted talks "for reasons only they know."
"CPS remains dedicated to reaching a multi-year agreement with our teachers that respects their hard work and protects the academic gains that they've helped our students achieve," said CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner on Friday. "We will continue CTU's Lewis Threatens Strike After Contract Talks Rebooted by CPS - River North - DNAinfo.com Chicago:
