Chicago Teachers Union members approve contract that will extend until June 30, 2019... Thousands vote 'No!' but the deal still gets a 72 percent percent 'Yes' vote from those voting...
Once they agreed to the sellout contract of 2016, the four officers of the Chicago Teachers Union did everything in their power to sell the deal, despite widespread dissatisfaction with what terms of the deal the members received before voting on October 31 and November 1. Above, left to right, Recording Secretary Michael Brunson, Financial Secretary Maria Moreno, President Karen Lewis, and Vice President Jesse Sharkey.The voting members of the Chicago Teachers Union, more than 25,000, voted in a two-day referendum on October 31 and November 1 to approve the four-year contract that was brought to them by the union's negotiators at the midnight deadline for a strike on Columbus Day. The four-year contract extends from July 1 2015 through June 30, 2019. (Disclosure: only active duty union members vote on contracts and strikes; this reporter is a retiree member and delegate).
The members in the schools had to vote even thought the union's leaders refused to provide enough copies of the deal in print format to all those who were eligible to vote. Although the union's leaders found the money to print and mail a glossy brochure touting the deal to all the union's 28,000 members (and some others who were not even union members), funds "ran out" before the union was able to print out enough copies of all the terms of the deal for the members to read prior to the vote. This tactic was unprecedented in CTU history (this reporter has been a CTU member and on strike since the January 1971 strike and was once doing consulting work for the CTU about union history until the union's officers decided the last thing they wanted was accurate history or an accurate reporting on CPS finances).
According to a press release sent out late on November 1, 2016, by the CTU Communications Department, "At the time of this writing, vote totals showed 72.33 percent yes and 27.67 no, with less than 60 schools waiting to be counted. The final results will be tabulated and shared at the CTU House of Delegates meeting on Wednesday, November 2nd. No other details are available at this time." The 72 percent pass rate means that this contract, which was hotly debated in the schools, was approved by the lowest percentage of union members in roughly half a century. Traditionally, the union's members are unwilling to vote down a deal once the union's leaders have recommended it for obvious reasons. If the officers believe that the deal is the "best" they can achieve, the members do not believe that the officers can lead a strike to get a better deal.
Negotiations for the new contract began in late 2014 and continued for more than a year after the old contract expired on July 1, 2015. At several points during the negotiations, CTU President Karen Lewis told the press, without consulting the members, that she had a deal. She was then forced to back down when no deal was approved by the so-called "Big Bargaining Team" or the House of Delegates. The last-minute deal approved on Columbus Day 2016 was rushed through the BBT and then presented to the members without the members (or the members of the HOD) having complete copies of all the terms of the new contract.
A CTU press release indicated that a large number of the union's members voted against the agreement, but that it passed. The press release said:
BREAKING NEWS. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin. Tuesday, November 1, 2016 312-890-0866 (cell)
Teachers vote overwhelmingly to ratify contract offer
CHICAGO - According to the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Rules & Election Committee, more than 70 percent of teachers, paraprofessionals and clinicians voted to accept the tentative agreement between the Union and Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The deal will now serve as the new labor agreement with the school district.
"Preliminary results show 72.33 percent of CTU members voted to accept the agreement," said CTU President Karen Lewis. "This has taken nearly two years to reach a fair contract settlement. Now educators can focus their full energies on their classrooms as we continue to fight for equity throughout the district. I want to commend the rank-and-file for their leadership, commitment and hard work over the course of several months. This contract goes a long way in protecting our profession and our classrooms."
At the time of this writing, vote totals showed 72.33 percent yes and 27.67 no, with less than 60 schools waiting to be counted. The final results will be tabulated and shared at the CTU House of Delegates meeting on Wednesday, November 2nd. No other details are available at this time.
On the evening of November 1, 2016, CTU members received the following email from Maria Moreno, the recently elected Financial Secretary of the CTU.
Dear [CTU member]:
As they listened to the World Series game on the radio, more than fifty CTU district supervisors, members of the Rules & Elections Committee, and rank and file volunteers (most contemplating a full day of teaching on Wednesday followed by the evening House of Delegates meeting) worked into the night tallying votes from across the city. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.
As the night wore on, it became clear that a majority of votes were coming in Yes. A few schools have not turned in their ballots, but the number of votes missing could not be enough to sway the result. For that reason, we can confidently report a Yes vote, but will need a day or two for a precise count of the entire referendum.
The Board of Education will undoubetdly vote to confirm the contract at their meeting on December 7. So, from here the House of Delegates will meet on Wednesday night and make plans about how to implement and enforce this contract. At the CTU office, our field representatives, organizers and the entire staff will put our strongest effort behind it. In every school, Professional Problems Committees and other rank and file members will need to stay vigilant and united—not just for your own school, but for the integrity of the contract district-wide.
As this chapter of our fight for the schools our students and our members deserve comes to a close, all of us at the CTU office thank you for remaining united, strong, and powerful in the face of a national onslaught against public education. We have a ways to go, but we are on the right path.
In solidarity,
Maria Moreno
CTU Financial Secretary
By: Chuck Feeney
TEACHER
As of 11/2/2016 OUR CTU teachers are far from being UNITED ! Way to throw the clinicians under the bus . Charters will multiply even without doing well.