Chicago Teachers Union Narrows Contract Demands in Negotiations with CPS

Union and District Aiming to Reach Deal by Mid-January

After eight months of increasingly tense contract negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union has now narrowed its number of demands in an effort to land a deal in the next month, the union and Chicago Public Schools officials said.

Teacher Assistants at Center of Dispute with SEIU 73

At the same time, a CTU proposal about teacher assistants has led to a labor dispute with one of its biggest allies, SEIU Local 73, which is accusing the teachers union of trying to raid its members. SEIU has threatened legal action.

CTU’s Revised Demands

The CTU put forth a list of about 160 demands this week that its leaders say lay out a road map to getting a deal – that’s down from more than 700 proposals the school district estimated would cost $10 billion over four years and catapult the cash-strapped school system further into debt.

CPS Officials Skeptical

CPS officials said they just received the list Monday and “do not yet see a significant reduction in the cost of the demands.” S&P Global Ratings, a credit agency, issued a warning on Tuesday that if CPS does not cut expenses or find more revenue, there could be implications for its credit rating over the next few years.

Salary Increases and Staffing Demands

The union is now asking for 6% salary increases in each of the first two years of the contract and 5% each in Years 3 and 4, down from its original proposal of 9% in each year. CPS has offered 4% in Year 1 and up to 5% in each of the next three.

As for the staffing demands, Goodchild said the CTU wants a phased-in approach to hiring, not an immediate massive wave. The union has backed off of several staffing proposals and is asking for far fewer than 7,000 teacher assistants, he said, accusing CPS of inflating that figure.

SEIU 73 Threatens Legal Action

SEIU 73 Executive Vice President Stacia Scott sent a cease-and-desist letter to CPS to try to prevent the district from bargaining with CTU over the issue. “SECAs are far more than toileting and feeding in our schools, and so reducing their work down … does them a disservice for the respect that they should be owed,” she said.

Conclusion

The relationship between unions at the same employer is an important one. The financial health of unions depends on its dues-paying members. The CTU has said it simply wants to fill vacancies that help kids. The union is aiming to reach a deal with CPS by mid-January, before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated and the new 21-member partially elected school board is seated.

FAQs

Q: What are the main issues in the contract negotiations?
A: The main issues are salary increases, staffing demands, and the role of teacher assistants.

Q: How many demands has the CTU narrowed its list to?
A: The CTU has narrowed its list to about 160 demands, down from more than 700 proposals.

Q: What is the current salary increase proposal from the union?
A: The union is asking for 6% salary increases in each of the first two years of the contract and 5% each in Years 3 and 4.

Q: What is the current staffing demand from the union?
A: The union is asking for a phased-in approach to hiring, not an immediate massive wave of hiring.