Chicago teachers to go on strike

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis informs reporters that the city's 26,000 public school teachers will walk the picket line Monday morning / AP Photo/Sitthixay Ditthavong

(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.

[charlietime7777]

Man it was an interesting time for <a href="http://ovalenzuelaconsulting.com/">labor relations</a> huh? I think they need to take more money away from politicians and pay teachers. They are way more important and beneficial to our country, that's for sure.

[jamesborough]

Interesting that the teachers care so much about "providing the education that the students deserve", yet, they're not in the classroom providing this much needed and deserved education! Every one of these so called educators should be systematically replaced with 26,000 educators who care about the needs of the children and not their "contracts."

[jeannutson]

The current tough global economic conditions and the increasingly scrutinized and scarce financial resources coupled with the very numerous workers compensation problems is a great recipe for more strikes and boycotts by workers across all sectors.

[no1blonde]

Really? Jabba and Hogs? These appropriate comments addressing this issue? Anyone with a college degree will agree that public service demands their employees to be educated to the max but many public employers are unwilling or unable to compensate for that expertise. Just because someone is unemployed or underemployed, it does not mean that we cut the forward mobility of those who are and that includes reasonable wages for a job. In addition, there are no freebies and no discounts for services or goods from employers to government employees. It used to be the lower wages for public employees was the retirement benefits and health care because of the sheer numbers employed. Those are all going away thanks to shrinking ranks and states like Wisconsin and California. If you think the teachers are overpaid and you are unemployed, get off your duff, get re-educated and get hired.

[ree-moot]

Teachers' Union - - BIGGEST supporter of Obama and Dems ! ! ! ! The unions want smaller classrooms - - which means MORE teachers, which means MORE dues, which means MORE support for their beloved, benevolent Obama/Dem party. They don't have to be GOOD to be a teacher, the grades don't have to be good, they just have to be a good due-paying member that can't get fired for doing a shoddy job.

[DynamicDavis]

I am amazed at the way all of these people are bashing teachers. It is downright hurtful. Teachers are the core of our nation ecause it is up to them to prepare our next generation. They got YOU where YOU are, unless you chose to ignore them and not try in school. I understand this strike is extreme, I agree. However, it is not the fault of the teachers for asking for basic rights on the job. I pay is a side note as it was negotiated and resolved. The new teacher evaluation is rediculous. It calls for each teacher to be evaluated on students' effort every year, with the threat of being fired for a single down year. They might as well reapply for the job every year. Before you bash teachers, please go get inolved in your local schools and see for yourself what it is like. Every school will ALWAYS take a volunteer, even for thirty minutes. It will open your eyes.

Stop ******** and bashing and be part of the solution!

[KnowerseekerReturns]

I agree with you on what it's like for teachers, and I have seen with my own eyes: I worked as a substitute teacher for three months a few years back and got a taste of public schools in all parts of a large city, among all grade levels. I had been contemplating becoming a teacher up until then; now I think that teaching (in a public school) is a hell on earth that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

[lillyhorton]

They are extending the school day. Why don't they set up state dorms? Isn't that what schools were created to do? Back in the day there were so many people from diffent countries with each countryman living in the way of their people which irritated English people. The English decided to teach kids how to live in the US so they go back to their parents and teach them. Teach your parents not to litter. teach your parents not to smoke or drink. Teach your parents how to recycle. It seems now the government want the parents out of their lives. The government doesn't want the children to learn that their government lies and cheats. The US government has its own agenda and separating kids from parents is a step in the right direction.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

You have a point there, which is why my wife and I are homeschooling our kids.

[spartan1827]

Like anybody goes to public school in chicago anyways.The prison school is where most hoodrats go anyhow so save the taxpayers of chicago a little money by not supporting two types of schools since welfare mom's don't pay taxes or pay for food ever then working moms who do can have some extra money "they so rightfully deserve" you know for the children.Don't look like anyone in that picture has missed any meals.

[cherrybrown]

How many Americans have LOST their jobs??

How many Americans have taken pay CUTS to keep their jobs??

How many Americans have had their pay increases FROZEN??

Wake up teachers! Look around you and appreciate that you HAVE a job!!

[DynamicDavis]

Hundreds of thousands of teacher HAVE lost their jobs.

[cherrybrown]

That is the point DynamicDavis. Demanding such raises in this time and economy is not realistic. They are fortunate to have jobs. I guarantee there ARE thousands of teachers who would gladly take these teaching positions with NO raise!

[ProgressiveWoman]

Get rid of the unions, free enterprise. Want to be an educator, need a job, like kids. Go to Chicago and apply. Since when do Teacher's; who by the way work how many hours a year? Certainly not 40+ a week what most americans work. Any yet Teacher's want to get paid a 12 month salary for 180 days or less a year of actual real work!! Give me a break, the taxpayers simply can't afford your perks and freee benefits anymore. Not to mention, say what pensions??

[DynamicDavis]

I want you to find me one teacher who does not work at least 40 hours. Every teacher I have ever known works closer to 45 or 50 hours a week. In addition, teachers use their own money to buy supplies. It is not the teachers' fault people! The money is being consumed in the middle by the insane amount of middle management in superintendant offices, school board offices, and other state and district level paper pushers.