Chicago teachers union leader pledges to enforce austerity
Negotiations between the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel continue amid growing resistance from workers to austerity nationwide, including teachers in Detroit. In the face of this, the president of the CTU Karen Lewis insisted last week that teachers “understand” that they will have to make sacrifices.
A statewide budget crisis is being used to push cuts in virtually every quarter. Budget negotiations have been deadlocked in the state government for more than six months and state workers and Chicago teachers have been without contracts since the fiscal year ended on July 1.
Last Wednesday, Illinois Republicans announced plans for legislation allowing for the city of Chicago and its school district to declare bankruptcy. In making public his support for the provocative legislation, Republican Governor Bruce Rauner targeted teachers directly, declaring, “I believe if we get involved we can take on the teachers union.” But the threat of bankruptcy is only one of many weapons being used to attack workers’ right and living standards across Illinois.
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has reported an estimated $1 billion deficit and an operating budget shortfall of $480 million. Last Friday, CPS announced it laid off 227 administrative workers in its central office, including its chief financial officer and head of media relations, and cut 180 vacant positions for a reported savings of $45 million. No teacher layoffs were announced at that time.
In 2015, more than 1,400 teachers and other school workers were laid off as the city shaved $200 million from its school budget. Democratic mayor and former Obama administration chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel has in the course of negotiations with the CTU demanded that teachers agree to a pay freeze, pay all of their own pension contributions—amounting to a pay cut of about seven percent—and accept increased costs for health care.
In displaying their willingness to push through the cuts, CTU leaders have echoed the bipartisan claims about the “severity” of the budget crisis and boasted of their new rapport with Emanuel since his election victory against CTU-backed Democrat Jesus “Chuy” Garcia in an April runoff.
CTU President Lewis said last week that negotiations with the Emanuel administration were going well, because teachers—who have been under relentless attack for more than 10 years under both Presidents Bush and Obama—understand that the budget crisis requires their sacrifice!
“We're doing fairly well. Both sides understand that concessions have to be made.
“I think people understand what dire straits CPS [is in]. We're going to lose Chicago teachers union leader pledges to enforce austerity - World Socialist Web Site: