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CTU delegates vote to end srike

George N. Schmidt - September 19, 2012

After receiving lengthy reports from each of the union's four officers and from the union's attorney, the members of the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates voted by a large majority to suspend the seven-day-old Chicago Teachers Strike of 2012. The teachers and other school workers who have been on strike will be back in their classrooms at the city's more than 600 real public schools by nine o'clock in the morning on September 19, 2012, ending, for a time at least, the first strike called by the CTU in a quarter century.

The meeting was held according to the traditional structure for the House of Delegates. Each of the officers reported to the members of the House, who stretched, standing room only, from wall to wall in the cavernous hall.

The first report was from Recording Secretary Michael Brunson, who reminded the delegates that the union's officers, attorneys, and "Big Bargaining Team" has begun negotiating in November 2011, but that it was only after the May 23 rallies and march that CPS officials even began paying attention to the union's demands. Following the strike authorization vote of June 6 - 8, some aspects of the negotiations improved, but not many. Brunson pointed out that the majority of the people on the Board's side of the table during the negotiations came from corporate America and had no knowledge of teaching or learning in the real public schools of Chicago.

CTU Financial Secretary Kristine Mayle (above right) detailed much of the agreement, which stretches to 188 pages in printed form, for the delegates. During her presentation, all of the delegates receive a 14-page summary of the proposed new contract, which she went through article by article (the entire contract has 49 articles). Her presentation noted that that Board had tried to gut the entire contract throughout most of the ten months of negotiations, retreating from many of their most serious demands only after the strike threat became credible (following the June 6 - 8 referendum and the strike, which began September 10). At the main table with Ms. Mayle above are (left to right) recording secretary Michael Brunson, Vice President Jesse Sharky, and President Karen Loews. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.The longest report came from Financial Secretary Kristine Mayle, who walked the delegates through all 49 Articles of the contract. For the first time, Mayle told the delegates, holding up a loose leaf binder, the union's officers and attorneys had the full 200 pages that had been negotiated. A summary of the changes in the contract was distributed to the delegates.

During the financial secretary's report, it became increasingly clear to delegates that significant changes had been made in the processes that the union would be able to implement inside the schools once the contract was in place. These ranged from increasing powers to the Professional Problems Committee (PPC) to the now-famous "anti-bullying" clause of the Agreement (which was later read in full to the delegates by President Karen Lewis).

One major focus of Kristine Mayle's report was the changes that were made in special education and clinicians sections of the contract. She is a former special education teacher whose award winning school (De La Cruz Middle) was closed down at the end of the Arne Duncan era and given briefly to a charter school (a fight that helped promoted her union activism and work with CORE). She noted that the union had secured many changes in special education procedures that will enable teachers and others helping children with special needs, Numerous teachers were noting that the city's charter schools simply exclude the most needy students with disabilities, then proclaim their superiority over the real public schools that must serve those children.

While there was a lengthy narrative of the changes to improve services for children with disabilities, one of those that stuck out for veteran teachers was that for the first time in the contract, special education teachers will not be required to perform duties outside their assigned duties. For decades, CPS officials have utilized some special services teachers as if they were substitutes to be worked at the whim of the principals.

Most of the report given by Vice President Jesse Sharkey (above at podium; Karen Lewis is listening on the left) was devoted to a brief history of American (and Chicago) labor unions. Noting that some struggles for union contracts can stretch for years (e.g., the Congress Hotel strike in Chicago, which is now in its seventh year) or prove extremely violent (noting the "Memorial Day Massacre" which took place during the "Little Steel" organizing by the Congress of Industrial Organizations in the 1930s, Sharkey reminded the delegates that the strength of the union was in the schools, where every member had to be vigilant in enforcing the contact. The 2012 contract would make the union stronger than it has been inside the schools in a quarter century. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.Jesse Sharkey, CTU vice president and a former history teacher (Senn High School) treated the delegates to a brief history of American unions and place the Chicago Teachers Strike of 2012 in that context. He reminded the delegates that every contract results in compromises and that unions cannot strike forever, pointing out that the proposed contract makes the union members much more powerful in the schools.

More than 20 TV trucks and more than 50 reporters waited impatiently outside the House of Delegates meeting until the vote was taken. Once the delegates began leaving, they were swarmed by reporters trying to get first responses after it was announced that the strike had been suspended. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.After the lengthy reports which covered every article of the new contract, questions began, with more than 70 delegates lined up at four microphones in the huge hall. Once again, the meeting was standing-room-only.

But the questions had barely begun when the associate delegate from Steinmetz High School, Sharon Schmidt (Substance editor) asked if a motion were in order. When Karen Lewis responded that it was, Schmidt read from the agenda proposed by the leadership: "The Officers recommend that the Chicago Teachers Union suspend the ongoing strike at the close of this House of Delegates meeting. The strike, picketing, and job actions will cease, and Chicago Teachers Union members will return to work on Wednesday, September 19, 2012."

Earlier in the meeting, the delegates were told that CPS Chief Executive Officer Jean-Claude Brizard (who did not take part in any of the more than 70 negotiating sessions, despite the fact that his annual salary is $250,000, the highest of any public school official in Chicago history) will speak at Trinity United Church, 400 W. 95th Street at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 19, 2012. The teachers were told that Rev. Moss, the pastor of the church, would like to see a sea of red shirts (CTU members) there to ask CEO JC Brizard questions.

Within a few hours after the meeting had adjourned, delegates and leaders of CORE began answering questions about what the contract fight and the strike had "won". According to an email from Sarah Chambers, a teacher and member of the CORE steering committee:

What we won for the kids in this contract:

1) Books on day 1

2) Private rooms for clinicians and security for the kids' files

3) Subs to help students while teachers are testing 1 on 1 or while testing students with modifications and accommodations.

4) Reduced emphasis on standardized testing because merit pay was removed.

5) Reinstated class size article and added that the class size committee with have an LSC member

6) Fewer missed instruction with special education students because IEP meetings can be before and after school

7) Recess

8) Added art, music and world language positions open

9) Potentially more clinicians and social workers when money is available.

10) More stability for students moving to new schools from closed schools because teachers from the closed schools when receive top priority in open positions at the new schools.

11) More resources for the students, since supply money has increased to $250.

12) More preparation time designated to planning instruction since paperwork is reduced.

13) More security for good experienced teachers.

14) Increase in diversity of teaching staff

15) Potentially class size reductions for special education

16) Potentially reduction in class size in library due to lack of tables and seats.

Sarah Chambers

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