SEC=UGA Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 The Chicago Teachers Union, which has vowed to strike next week without a new contract, filed unfair labor practice charges against the Chicago school system on Wednesday, ratcheting up pressure on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to make concessions as a key deadline looms. The union also said on Wednesday it would not extend the Monday strike deadline if no contract agreement is reached with the city. A strike by the nearly 30,000 public school teachers and support staff in the nation's third-largest school district would be the first in Chicago in 25 years and one of the largest labor actions nationwide in recent years. The union filed complaints with the state labor board accusing the school district of violating state law by unilaterally imposing changes in teachers' working conditions - including new teacher evaluation procedures - while both parties are still at the bargaining table. The union also charges that Chicago Public Schools, which has more than 400,000 students enrolled, is refusing to allow arbitration on some complaints and has intimidated teachers picketing at a school. Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman Becky Carroll said the district was disappointed, and called on the union to focus its energy on the contract talks. "It's time to put antics aside and negotiate in good faith," Carroll said. Unless the two sides can agree to a new contract, the union said it will strike at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, the second week of classes for most students. Both the school district and parents are scrambling to come up with contingency plans to cope with possible disruption. Chicago Mayor Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama and a speaker at the Democratic National Convention this week, has made reform of the city's troubled public schools a top priority of his administration. Earlier this year, he succeeded in pushing through a longer school day. But the union is opposed to other proposed reforms backed by Emanuel, including tougher teacher evaluations tied to student test scores and giving principals wide latitude in hiring. The union also wants a larger pay increase for teachers than the 8 percent raise over four years that Chicago is offering. Jean-Claude Brizard, Emanuel's school system chief executive, has said that the district cannot afford the raises demanded by the union because of a projected $3 billion deficit over the next three years. The city of Chicago and the state of Illinois are in dire financial straits and credit ratings for both the city and state have been downgraded. (Editing by Greg McCune and Lisa Shumaker) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 (edited) On a side note... Karen Lewis, the teachers union pres, well, I don't think the lack of wage increases has hit her house yet. Seriously, she needs to think about gettin hold of some rice cakes. Picture CBS/AP) CHICAGO — The Chicago Teachers Union announced Sunday night that it will go on strike Monday morning for the first time in 25 years after contract talks with the school district failed over issues including pay, benefits and job security. "We will be on the (picket) line," Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said after emerging from all-day talks with district negotiators. "This is a difficult decision and one we hoped we could have avoided," she said. "We must do things differently in this city if we are to provide our students with the education they so rightfully deserve." More than 26,000 teachers and support staff are expected to hit the picket lines Monday morning, while the school district and parents carry out plans for keeping nearly 400,000 students safe and occupied during the day in the nation's third largest school district. District officials plan to feed and monitor students at 144 schools throughout the city during the strike. School board President David Vitale had announced a short time earlier on Sunday night that the talks had broken off, despite the school board offering what he called a fair and responsible contract that would cover four years and meet most of the union's demands. He said the talks with the union had been "extraordinarily difficult." Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the strike is unfair to the city's school children. Speaking shortly after Lewis announced the walkout, Emanuel said the two sides disagreed mainly over two issues that could quickly be finished if the negotiations continued, and that the district's team was ready to start talks again at any time. He said the district had offered the teachers at 16 percent pay raise over four years. CBS station WBBM in Chicago points out the mayor said he was "disappointed that we have come to this point, given that even all the other parties acknowledge how close we are, because this is a strike of choice. Because of how close we are, it is a strike that is unnecessary." Lewis said she believed talks would resume Monday but a time had not been set for the sides to meet. She added that progress had been made but not enough to avert a strike. Union officials said among the outstanding issues were district proposals for standardized student testing that would "cheapen" the school system and a teacher evaluation system that would cost 6,000 teachers their jobs within two years. Lewis said the union had won concessions from the district on other matters. The walkout was announced after months of tense, at-times heated talks among Emanuel, the school board and union leaders at a time when unions and collective bargaining have come under criticism around the nation during difficult economic times. The district had been offering a raise of 2 percent a year for four years. The union called that offer unacceptable — particularly after Emanuel last year canceled a previously negotiated 4 percent pay raise, citing budget problems. The union countered by asking for a 30 percent pay raise over two years, followed by a request for a 25 percent increase over two years. Just weeks ago, Lewis told delegates the union had adjusted its demand and was asking for a 19 percent pay raise in the contract's first year. The union also has raised concerns about raises based on teacher experience and education. It said the district agreed to retain contract language allowing raises based on experience, called step increases, but would not actually pay the money now. Teachers also have been concerned about new teacher evaluations, health benefits and regaining lost jobs. An additional issue was how a longer school day for students is being implemented. The strike is the latest flashpoint in a very public and often contentious battle between the mayor and the union. When he took office last year, the former White House chief of staff inherited a school district facing a $700 million budget shortfall. Not long after, his administration rescinded 4 percent raises for teachers. He then asked the union to reopen its contract and accept 2 percent pay raises in exchange for lengthening the school day for students by 90 minutes. The union refused. The longer school day was one of the mayor's campaign promises for the city's schools, and he pushed to have it implemented a year ahead of schedule. He attempted to go around the union by asking teachers at individual schools to waive the contract and add 90 minutes to the day. He halted the effort after being challenged by the union before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. The district and union agreed in July on how to implement the longer school day, striking a deal to hire back 477 teachers who had been laid off rather than pay regular teachers more to work longer hours. That raised hopes the contract dispute would be settled soon, but bargaining continued on the other issues. Edited September 10, 2012 by SEC=UGA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 probably plenty of replacements eager for a job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditkaless Wonders Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 The Union's initial stances were so unrealistic that the should not have been bargained with at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 in 10 years i had one good teacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 in 10 years i had one good teacher Some of my best teachers were drunk coeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 in 10 years i had one good teacher 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 There are explanations for almost everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electricrelish Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 in 10 years i had one good teacher What about grades 11 & 12? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneymakers Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 ALL is well The school attended by Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel's children remains open, even though public school teachers are striking in Chicago resulting in school closures across the city. "Mayor Rahm Emanuel has decided to send his three children to the University of Chicago Lab Schools rather than put them in the financially strapped Chicago Public Schools he’s trying desperately to reform," the Chicago Sun-Times reported last year. A phone call to the Lab Schools confirmed that it remains open. It is, after all, a private institution--and strikes are taking place in public schools. The director's office, however, was not yet able immediately to confirm whether Emanuel's three children were in attendance today. (UPDATE: The school called back to say it wouldn't comment.) Emanuel's office did not respond to a request for comment. The Lab Schools are an expensive and elite Chicago institution. The website of the school high details the annual cost: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 ALL is well The school attended by Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel's children remains open, even though public school teachers are striking in Chicago resulting in school closures across the city. "Mayor Rahm Emanuel has decided to send his three children to the University of Chicago Lab Schools rather than put them in the financially strapped Chicago Public Schools he’s trying desperately to reform," the Chicago Sun-Times reported last year. A phone call to the Lab Schools confirmed that it remains open. It is, after all, a private institution--and strikes are taking place in public schools. The director's office, however, was not yet able immediately to confirm whether Emanuel's three children were in attendance today. (UPDATE: The school called back to say it wouldn't comment.) Emanuel's office did not respond to a request for comment. The Lab Schools are an expensive and elite Chicago institution. The website of the school high details the annual cost: Ummmm... Rahm is the reason these idiots are on strike. Secondly, If you had the financial ability, why the hell would you even consider sending your kid to public school over private school in Chicago? All this tells me is that Rahm is a good parent who is concerned about the physical and intellectual well being of his children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 in 10 years i had one good teacher Thank God for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennykravitz2004 Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I, nuke'em ttg was the toliet bowl loser in SuperBalla's DOH! league. It is his DOH! league because he is back to back champ. Balla's fantasy skills make mine pale in comparrison. He might be the Fantasy Messiah. Sorry for the attempted hijack, please carry on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 What's worse than the Cubs? The rest of Chicago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeSteele Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Extended summer vacation for the teachers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 (edited) When the democrats are attacking unions, the unions need to seriously reevaluate their position. Edited September 11, 2012 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 When the democrats are attacking unions, the unions need to seriously reevaluate their position. This. Rhambo has gone after the unions since day one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 One gets the impression that the teachers and their union believe that they should have complete control of the schools. Any decision that is made without consulting them is challenged. They don't seem to understand or care about the very difficult financial crisis that is hitting state/county/city government everywhere. Just keep demanding more money and more control. I know many in the private sector that are still struggling, no work, or reduced pay and benefits. We just recently returned to full pay and benefits after 4 years of no 401K, and unpaid days off (better than a pay cut and no time off). No raises for maybe 5 years. As far as Rham and where his kids go to school, if he can afford it why shouldn't he send them somewhere better. Every parent does that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 Still at it, even though the have reached a tentative agreement. They should fire every goddamn one of them and hire replacement teachers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 When the democrats are attacking unions, the unions need to seriously reevaluate their position. Eh, it isn't as though the Dems are the unions bestest pal ever, it's just that they are less-horrible for the unions than the Republicans are. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godtomsatan Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 They should fire every goddamn one of them and hire replacement teachers. They are trained professionals who are being asked to work longer hours, under stricter performance guidelines, for less compensation. There's not a single person in here who would be content with these kinds of demands from their employer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbpfan1231 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 They are trained professionals who are being asked to work longer hours, under stricter performance guidelines, for less compensation. There's not a single person in here who would be content with these kinds of demands from their employer. You probably just referred to over 50% of the entire US workforce. Are you being serious or fishing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 He's being serious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliaz Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Ummmm... Rahm is the reason these idiots are on strike. Secondly, If you had the financial ability, why the hell would you even consider sending your kid to public school over private school in Chicago? All this tells me is that Rahm is a good parent who is concerned about the physical and intellectual well being of his children. this When the democrats are attacking unions, the unions need to seriously reevaluate their position. this One gets the impression that the teachers and their union believe that they should have complete control of the schools. Any decision that is made without consulting them is challenged. They don't seem to understand or care about the very difficult financial crisis that is hitting state/county/city government everywhere. Just keep demanding more money and more control. I know many in the private sector that are still struggling, no work, or reduced pay and benefits. We just recently returned to full pay and benefits after 4 years of no 401K, and unpaid days off (better than a pay cut and no time off). No raises for maybe 5 years. As far as Rham and where his kids go to school, if he can afford it why shouldn't he send them somewhere better. Every parent does that. and this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 You probably just referred to over 50% of the entire US workforce. Are you being serious or fishing? How many people do you know who are content with it? The union simply gives employees the ability to say "no, that ain't gonna happen." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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