Teachers union: Furlough days ‘all but assures’ strike April 1
Chicago Teachers Union protest over the use of TIF funds for development instead of using the money for schools last month. File Photo. Brian Jackson/ for the Sun-Times
Chicago Public Schools abruptly announced Thursday that all of its employees, including teachers, will take three unpaid furlough days this year, prompting the teachers union to warn that its members will all but certainly strike on April 1.
Schools chief Forrest Claypool already has threatened that he could at any time yank the 7 percent of 9 percent pension contribution CPS makes on the teachers’ behalf. And that led the CTU to ramp up their talk of walking off the job on April 1 in an unfair labor practice strike.
Late Thursday, Claypool wrote to all employees blaming Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner who’s “more interested in forcing bankruptcy and taking over our schools than in addressing the unequal funding issues that hurt districts like ours across the state.
“We know we cannot cut our way to a solution,” Claypool said. “However, the governor’s inaction means we must continue to cut costs and ease our cash flow, so we can do what’s necessary to ensure our classrooms are protected and our students’ progress is uninterrupted.”
CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey denounced the cuts equivalent to about 1.6 percent pay cut, acknowledging that they’re legal under state law, but calling them ”outrageous, unilateral and unfair.”
“This is just a hardship on employees. and to make matters worse, it’s on top of a 7 percent unilateral pay cut coming April 1,” he continued. “The level of anger is getting to a point where people are going to start taking action. Right now there’s an action planned on April 1, and I think this all but assures there’s a walkout coming.”
The move is said to save CPS $30 million in salaries. Benefits will not be affected.
No CPS staffers will work or get paid on Good Friday, March 25, which is popular among employees and students to take off for the Easter weekend. Teachers and the aides known as PSRPs will also lose work and pay on June 22 and 23, which were supposed to be teacher-training days at the end of the year after classes ended for Teachers union: Furlough days 'all but assures' strike April 1 | Chicago Sun-Times: