Teachers at Chicago High School for the Arts say school stalling on contract talks

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Teachers from the Chicago High School for the Arts are accusing the charter school of stalling amid contract talks.

Teachers at the charter school in Humboldt Park are negotiating a new contract, and have accused the school's board of directors of refusing to bargain jointly with academic and arts educators.

The Chicago Teachers Union said, while academic and arts educators are in separate bargaining units, they should be able to negotiate together since they are both employed by the same school and share the same concerns about how to improve the school.

"It is completely legal and common practice for negotiations for a union contract to cover multiple job categories or bargaining units, as is the case at CPS and all other CTU-represented charter schools. Regrettably, ChiArts and its board are forcing these two units to bargain separately — creating unnecessary division and obstructing educators' ability to get the resources they need to ensure their classrooms are safe, welcoming, and thriving places for their students to learn," the union said in a press release.

They're also fighting for increased support for special education instructors, a full-time nurse, and more protections for LGBTIQA+ teachers and students.

A rally will happen outside of the school on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.