In Historic Move, Charter School Educators’ Union Vote Overwhelmingly to Unify with Chicago Teachers Union
CTU members to vote this fall on historic effort to bring together charter and public school teachers in formal coalition as part of broader struggle for fair educational funding for city’s students.
CHICAGO—(ENEWSPF)–June 9, 2017: In an historic vote, members of ChiACTS Local 4343 — the union of charter school educators in Chicago — voted overwhelmingly today to formally unify with the Chicago Teachers Union. CTU members will vote on unification with ChiACTS this fall. Ballots from union charter schools were counted tonight after the close of the Friday school day. Final vote counts of the 1,000-strong union were 671 in favor and 130 against unifying — or about 84% of voting members supporting unification.
“All Chicago educators, charter and district, face the same challenges — shrinking budgets, layoffs, union-busting, lack of voice, and a wholesale assault on the quality of the education of our students,” said Chris Baehrend, President of ChiACTS Local 4343 — the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachrs And Staff — which represents 32 charter schools in Chicago. “This vote for unification is a vote for educators with both ChiACTS and the CTU to speak with a stronger collaborative voice for real educational justice for all of our students. It is our identity as public educators — not our employers — that defines us, and our overwhelming vote for unity affirms that charter educators are educators first, and servants of the public with a shared commitment to the futures of our students across the city.”In Historic Move, Charter School Educators’ Union Vote Overwhelmingly to Unify with Chicago Teachers Union - eNews Park Forest:
