53 Comments - Anon - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 8:54 am: I’m not sure it matters if it’s a push poll since we’re dealing with a membership only election that isn’t governed by the same rules/laws as actual elections and this wasn’t going to be close to a scientific poll for sample bias, and other validity issues. You could infer from this that the workers may be more likely to vote for a strike when they’re told what the position of CPS is. Even if you think they’re overpaid or out of line with their demands, the CPS hasn’t exactly done anything to build confidence that taking a hair cut now would do anything to improve CPS’ fiscal situation or management in the long run. - nixit71 - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:04 am: The only “pay cut” I’ve heard about in these negotiations is the end of the pension pick-up. And since the CTU is big on legalese, they should know each and every contract they’ve signed since 1981 (the first year of the pick-up) explicitly states “This pension pick-up will not constitute a continuing ele­ment of compensation or benefit beyond the current contract.” So why do teachers feel entitled to this benefit each and every year? The contract clearly states otherwise. Surely they were aware this was a temporary benefit. - @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:05 am: The poll was an “internal union exercise *** designed to test the CTU’s organizational bandwidth.” • 95% participation rate: The vote told the CTU that it is logistically prepared to hold a strike vote. To authorize a strike, 75% of their members must vote for it. That’s 75% of the total membership, not of those voting. Failure to vote counts as a vote against. The CTU now knows that they can get about 95% of their members to cast ballots. • 97% of those voting: My understanding is that this was a very soft referendum on the possibility of a strike and a heads-up to membership. A member’s vote FOR is simply being read as non-opposition to the possibility of a strike, i.e. an indication that 1) the member is not particularly displeased with CTU leadership, and 2) the member’s family has stockpiled enough canned goods to weather a strike. In other words, it was a vote saying if we have to we can and will. (I think this vote was also intended to create some “97% VOTE TO STRIKE” confusion and to thereby give Rahm a little slap on the ear.) • The above is based on nosing around and asking a few questions and not on specific CTU insider knowledge. I could be wrong, but I think it makes sense. – MrJM - Anonymous - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:09 am: Push poll, and then some. - Century Club - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:15 am: The CTU may be guilty of overplaying the ’strike’ nature of the vote for the media, but the turnout is a pretty clear indication that they can get the numbers necessary to win a strike vote. And given the massive cuts that have happened at CPS schools this year, the previous school closings, the threat to take away the pension pick up, and the threat to layoff 5,000 teachers, I don’t doubt that teachers are willing to strike. - JS Mill - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:16 am: =• The above is based on nosing around and asking a few questions and not on specific CTU insider knowledge. I could be wrong, but I think it makes sense.= I think you are right. =So why do teachers feel entitled to this benefit each and every year?= Because they have received it every year since 1981. I think you answered your own question. Once something as been around for more than a year or two it becomes a constant in most peoples mind er go, we ALWAYS do that. I understand your point about the contract language but very very few teachers a) read the contract and b) understand what is in the contract. Believe me when I say that is not an excuse, it is just the nature of teachers everywhere. - Arizona Bob - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:18 am: This is the “wedge” issue that Rauner should be using if he wants to reduce union power in Illinois, not all that other “reform” nonsense he’s been spouting. He now has evidence that CTU is willing to hurt the community and the most needy of Illinois students due to arrogance and greed. Prohibiting teacher strikes in Illinois is a winning argument, and he needs to come out and make it NOW! Illinois is one of only two states that allow teachers unrestricted striking powers, and one of only nine that allow ANY teacher strikes. It’s time he showed that he cares as much about the children as 48 other states. Put the prohibition on the table. Protect the families of the city of Chicago. Let Madigan and the “supermajority” defend their stance that empowering teachers to strike and shut down schools, cause family hardship in the workplace by having parents stay home to watch the kids, and disrupt what is already one on the poorest quality major city public school systems in the nation, with amongst the least contact hours of any. Parents will support him, even Chicago Democrat parents. He’d be putting Madigan in a “lose-lose” situation. Either he snubs parents and children for a small number of union supporters, or he sides with families and the children and alienate his entitled base. It’s a classic chess move. Is Rauner sharp enough to take it and declare victory? If he gets this, he can save face and move past the budget impasse issues for the “Turnaround agenda”. Anyone think he’ll bite? He’s got nothing to lose, and a lot to gain…. - Steve - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:19 am: Yeah! Public education works so well in a big city! Everything done here is for the children. We should have health care based on where you live. You could be assigned a hospital and doctor from the government. - AlabamaShake - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:20 am: Maybe there was a second page to the poll? - Carhartt Representative - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:26 am: =The only “pay cut” I’ve heard about in these negotiations is the end of the pension pick-up. And since the CTU is big on legalese, they should know each and every contract they’ve signed since 1981 (the first year of the pick-up) explicitly states “This pension pick-up will not constitute a continuing ele­ment of compensation or benefit beyond the current contract.” So why do teachers feel entitled to this benefit each and every year? The contract clearly states otherwise. Surely they were aware this was a temporary benefit.= Thirty-four years is the length of time that you need to be a teacher to qualify for full pension even if you’re not 65. This provision was put in 34 years ago. 99.9% of the teachers in the system have never had a paycheck without this pickup. 2/3 of the teachers state get this perk and many get the whole thing paid for. Keep in mind that the city doesn’t pay social security and has made their payment 7 times in the last 20 years. All teachers would see their take home pay cut 10-12%. However, teachers in their first dozen years or would be hit much harder. At the same time, cuts have already jacked up their out of pocket costs for supplies. Last year my wife paid $2,140 on school supplies. The year before it was less than $1,700 and those were the only two years it’s been over $1,000 as long as I’ve been doing taxes. Is it a push poll? Yeah and no. The real questions will get asked soon enough and my wife doesn’t expect it to be much lower. At her school, it’s 100% except for one guy always does his own thing. - nixit71 - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:33 am: @JS MIll - I agree with you 100%. And it’s not just teachers who would make that assumption in that situation. I’ve heard many arguments that CTU compensation has always factored in the pick-up, implying that CTU would have received larger raises all these years if the pick-up wasn’t in place. But the problem with that logic is that, over the years, contracts included 3-6% raises on base pay. Add another 3-4% for step increases. And if you do the math on the pick-up, you see it translates to a 3.75% increases in take home pay. So are we to believe that the CTU would have received 10% raises every year w/ no pension pick up? Seems like a stretch to me. As you stated, I too would wager that most teachers dismissed the pick-up as SOP all these years. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:34 am: So what’s the problem here? Who cares if it has an actual strike question? It’s not like CTU has to be “fair and balanced”. It’s for their membership and they are doing what they have to do to frame their argument and harden their resolve. This is post is framed as if it’s a problem. What’s the problem? It’s their version of “winning”. It’s their perception. Only I would argue that CTU is a heck of lot more prepared to strike than Rauner is “Winning”. This blog bears testiment to Rauners “winning” every day. As an aside, I’m not trying to be challenging here. I’m just don’t see where the problem is. ( And yes I learned my lesson and get the irony, that I am defensive about this when I challenged the Rauner popularity numbers poll because of “leading questions”. I get it. But my question of why is this is a problem is of interest to me) Why is this a problem? - Urbs In Horto - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:37 am: Does anyone happen to know (or know where one might find) the numbers showing what raises CTU has negotiated during the Pension-Pick-Up Era? Isn’t that the point? Money is money, after all, whether it’s paid for you or to you. The strength of CTU’s argument against ending the pick-up depends on the extent to which the renewal of the pick-up from contract to contract affected the salary increase portions of the deals. - There is power in a union... - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:38 am: AB: actually Rauner has full throatedly endorsed a unions right to strike. Be a little weird for him to do an about face now… - @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:45 am: “Be a little weird for him to do an about face now…” But certainly not unprecedented. – MrJM - nixit71 - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:49 am: @Carhartt - I agree, but it’s in the contract. If this non-union, non-Chicagoan layperson with nothing at stake can find this clause and CTU members can’t, it speaks more to CTU’s transparency, priorities, and poor internal communications than anything. PS - I never understood why we can’t provide proper funding for school supplies and why our teachers have to supplement this. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:52 am: The problem with this stuff is the corner they are painting themselves into. That is one of the many problems Rauner is currently having. He has been so flamingly anti-union and so uncompromising in his extreme stand he doesn’t give himself much room to compromise, even when it is everyone’s best interest. The CTU is not being led well. Consequently, they are playing the same type of dangerous game that Rauner is losing at. Citizens will not embrace the types of extremism Rauner or the CTU are publically espousing. When it looks like normal compromises are being tossed due to the extreme positions made by either side - citizens will take a side, and it won’t be on the side that appears more extreme. This strike vote was not a good idea, just as the RTW fiasco was a bad idea for the incoming administration. - There is power in a union... - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:53 am: MJM: touché Should have added /s to prior comment. Lol - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:55 am: This is the “wedge” issue that Rauner should be using… Rauner looks like he was the kid who got a whole lot of “wedgies”. No wonder he employs them so often. Too bad he is a governor, instead of a fifth grader. Governors don’t do “wedgies”, they are supposed to be the ones who unite - not divide. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:55 am: The line of questioning is akin to USW reps walking into U.S. Steel and asking rank-and-file members if they support the importation of Chinese steel. What are the odds that anyone would support that?! - allknowingmasterofracoondom - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 9:59 am: Such a freaking joke Rich. These teachers cry in their soup that it is all for the “children.” When is reality they are bigger political animals than the GA in Illinois. Where is the strike question? Right here, I got your strike question right here. What a joke. I have no empathy for the CTU. The CPA SHOULD go bankrupt and start all over - with the first move being an elected board. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:00 am: Vanillaman, with all we know of Rauner why would CTU not be afraid of “give an inch and he’ll take a mile”? There is no compromise with this man. - okgo - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:01 am: “4) CTU’s demands include: A librarian, nurse, art, music, and PE teacher in every school, expansion of Early Childhood programs, funded homeless and restorative justice coordinators, strengthening of special education, grievable class size limits, a minimum wage of $15 an hours for all Board employees, limitations on paperwork, improvements to the evaluation system, protection for paraprofessionals, and an expansion of the Grow Your Own program which supports community members who become teachers.” That’s about $220 million in new asks by CTU according to my back-of-the-envelope math. Add that to the $500 million in cuts they are fighting, and you have close to $750 million in demands above where CPS has enough money to pay now. I would think they may not get all of those. - JS Mill - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:03 am: =So are we to believe that the CTU would have received 10% raises every year w/ no pension pick up? = The truth there actually might be yes. We will never know. Here is why I say that might be true- During the Daley years (son not father)there was relative labor stability and peace at CTU. Raises were consistently good, even as he expanded charter school staffing leading to lower CTU staffing levels. The raises made people happy, of course he wasn’t making pensions payments which led to today’s CPS pension problems. Most professional jobs come with a benefits package. You can look at the pension pick up a number of different ways, at the end of the day it is basically part of the benefits package. Here in central Illinois, where I work, we pick it up for our teachers. Our salaries are significantly lower (my starting teaching salary 20 years ago in Cook County is only $1,500 less than what ours is now) but cost is relative. - Arizona Bob - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:03 am: @There is power in a union =AB: actually Rauner has full throatedly endorsed a unions right to strike. Be a little weird for him to do an about face now…= He’s going to have to do an “about face” on a lot of his turnaround agenda if he’s going to get past this impasse. IMHO, the strike issue is the biggest problem in Illinois spending and improvement, considering Illinois spends 17.8% per student above national average, and most of that comes from local property taxes, which are amongst the two worst in the nation. Everything else in his agenda will affect very limited numbers of people, and are invisible to most. Voters don’t see WC costs. They don’t see costs passed on to them through unfair judgments in tort. Right to work is a non-starter in Illinois, even though it directly affects few voters. Public strike prohibition affects every homeowner, business and parent in the state. It’s populist. It’s terrible strategy if he’s taken it off the table. - okgo - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:04 am: There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there will be a strike if there is no Springfield help and CPS has to begin the draconian cuts to close the $500 million gap. The questions really is, will CTU still strike if Springfield does all it can do (the weak $200 million ask). Since that $200 million is so low because it depends on the pension pick-up coming out of teacher’s checks, then they likely will still strike. - There is power in a union... - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:10 am: AB: Rauner has gone on record supporting the rights of public employees to strike. Not just him but many in the Republican Party. During the run up to the 1229 override, we can’t tell you how many house republicans said some variation of, “I am going to vote no to protect you because the right to strike is sancrosanct.” A whole crew of mother jones they are… /s - nixit71 - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:18 am: From Chicago Catalyst circa 1995, page 7: Using pension money for the regular budget is not a new practice. With the agreement of the Chicago Teachers Union, the Legislature transferred pension funds to its regular operating budget from 1990 through 1993; the move helped pay for teacher raises and bonuses. Can you have a pension pick up if you’re borrowing from the very same pick up to pay for wages? Seems as though the CTU was OK with pension under-funding so as long as they got their money right away. And by using tomorrow’s guaranteed pension to fund today’s raises, you are essentially double-taxing the citizens to pay for services that never had the proper funding. Irresponsible, immoral behavior. http://catalystchicago.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/archive/files/assets/19950901/6catsep1995.pdf - Arizona Bob - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:53 am: @there is power… =we can’t tell you how many house republicans said some variation of, “I am going to vote no to protect you because the right to strike is sancrosanct.”= I’m assuming that the “we can’t tell you” statement is not semantic that you can’t tell me because none did say it. You seem like a stand up person, so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. There is perhaps no greater litmus test of which pols will work in the public interests when they conflict with the union’s than in strike prohibition. That Illinois has so many on both sides of the aisle that are willing to sell out the children and families for unusual, and some would say unfair, selfish union interests goes a long way in explaining why Illinois is the mess it is. Regarding the funding of school supplies, that’s just another line item in the budget. The money can be spent on facilities, salaries and benefits, or supplies. If it goes to salaries and benefits, the supplies will be underfunded. I’d really interested in knowing how a teacher spends all that money (over $2K per year)”out of pocket” for paper and crayolas. I suspect that they’re not buying computers and software, since that requires admin approval in curriculum. - nixit71 - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 10:55 am: ==Sharkey: “The law keeps us from asking questions twice, so what we do is we ask a series of questions that cover the four corners of our bargaining proposals.” So the CTU employs the 4 Square Method, the tried-and-true negotiation tactic used by car dealers across the land. Bravo! - Rollo Tamasi - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 11:25 am: Solution: If Fire, Paramedics, and Police cannot strike in Chicago why should the teachers. Since the ill-advised fire strike in the early 80’s emergency services have had to settle disputes at the arbitration table. The state law should be amended to add teachers to that process. - Chicago school parent - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 11:26 am: Wow. So CTU announces a mock strike vote, to measure sentiment for a strike, gets the entire press corp to report it in sensational terms, then doesn’t actually have a strike vote, and then lies to the press that there was one! Then makes up a percentage on the support for the strike vote that never happened! Glad Capitol Fax is around. The rest of the press corp bought this hook, line and sinker. - tberry - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 11:50 am: Re: Have you ever seen a push poll that blatant? Answer: Yes–it was for Christian Mitchell vs. J. Travis last weekend! - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 11:52 am: ===it was for Christian Mitchell vs. J. Travis=== Well the CTU is backing Travis, so… - Chris - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 12:02 pm: “$220 million in new asks by CTU according to my back-of-the-envelope math.” They left out the implied demand of keeping open the schools that are too small to justify the full time librarian, nurse, art, music, etc staff. - dzipio - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 12:13 pm: From Vanillaman 9:52 “Citizens will not embrace the types of extremism Rauner or the CTU are publically espousing.” The big difference is that Karen Lewis is not an elected public official. The public can like it or not like it, but Rahm will be the one with two strikes on his record as mayor. - crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 12:21 pm: ==CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey said the polling strategy was the same one used in the runup to the 2012 teachers’ strike.== This is a simple statement that can either be verified as factual or disproven as fabricated. No need to imply the CTU is pulling a fast one, without more evidence that’s so. - crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 12:22 pm: If it IS true, and I see no particular reason to believe it is not, it seems that “practice strike vote” is an entirely fair characterization. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 12:41 pm: ==I’d really be interested to know how a teacher spends all that money (over 2K per year)”out of pocket”== Don’t know many elementary teachers, then, do you Bob? My mother, an elementary teacher, not only bought supplies for some of her students who didn’t have them ( in her middle class suburban school), but also bought hats and gloves for children who had none in subzero weather. Unlike the hateful, distorted picture of greedy monsters the media likes to portray teachers as—most are like my mother. And she didn’t whine about it either. I guess those are the kinds of people who go into teaching. - Former Hoosier - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 12:53 pm: Arizona Bob: It is not at all hard to imagine how a teacher could spend $2,000+/year on supplies for a classroom. Let’s say you have 30 students and the majority come from impoverished homes. Those students come to school with no supplies. No pencils, pens, notebooks, markers etc. Nothing, because the family can’t afford it. Then, add to that the fact that the principal has a very limited supply budget so the teacher has to pay for copy paper and ink for the printer. Then, the weather gets cold and many students have no coats, gloves, hats etc. So the principal and teachers use their own money to buy these items. This is not a theoretical problem. It is a very real, every day problem in many Chicago schools. - TD - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 1:22 pm: Seems like the perspective here is becoming more anti-CPS teacher and pro-charter school lately. CPS, the mayor, and others are destroying the long-term prospects of attracting top notch teaching candidates. And where did 2K a year number given to teachers come from? The CPS teachers I know get $250 a year for supplies. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 1:40 pm: ===The CPS teachers I know get $250/year for supplies=== Those supplies are for books for the classroom, handouts for students, things necessary for instruction. The 2K they’re talking about is out of a teacher’s pocket for food for kids who haven’t eaten, gloves/boots/hats/coats in winter, etc. If you think this doesn’t happen, you are sadly uninformed. My elementary class in an upper middle class suburban area had a large number of these needy kids in it. Of 29 students, 14 were on the state lunch program. Maybe the only decent meal they got each day. People really need to volunteer in schools and see what goes on. I’m convinced they don’t believe this stuff. I think they judge others on what goes on in their family. Just because you take care of your children doesn’t mean anyone else does. Teachers know. - Carhartt Representative - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 2:40 pm: My wife did get $250 from her school. She bought: Subscriptions to two magazines — Junior Scholastic and Time Jr. I think. 9 toner cartridges for the high yield black and white printer she bought last year because there is no working copier and it’s still cheaper than going to Kinkos. 2 imaging units for the same computer 2 large fans for the classroom. CPS took away the school’s engineer and now the AC doesn’t work most days. 1 Box of paper for the computer. Students are supposed to supply a ream each, but it’s too much for some. About $200 at Costco for cleaning supplies–Aramark doesn’t really clean the classroom. They don’t even have brooms so there were a lot of things to buy. About $90 at CVS for Tissues, wipes, soap, and paper towels. About $330 at Staples for who knows what. A small portion of it is deductible, and she is probably unusually high, but it’s not unheard of and I’m sure most teachers eclipse that $250 mark with room to spare. - Carhartt Representative - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 2:47 pm: ====CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey said the polling strategy was the same one used in the runup to the 2012 teachers’ strike.== This is a simple statement that can either be verified as factual or disproven as fabricated. No need to imply the CTU is pulling a fast one, without more evidence that’s so.== “STRIKE VOTE In 2011 the Illinois legislature passed a law that the CTU would need the votes of 75 percent of all members (not just of those voting) to call a strike. To beat that threshold, we couldn’t go into the vote cold. Practice Vote. We wanted to vote before the school year was over, while the issues were hot and members were having daily conversations with each other. We took a dry run May 10. Members at their schools took a four-question poll with questions that would elicit a yes (“Do the Board’s bargaining proposals disrespect CTU members?”).” This practice vote allowed us to test our machinery and signal to members that a strike vote was coming. Rank-and-file leaders had to drive turnout on a scale they had not experienced before. - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/2012/10/how-chicago-teachers-got-organized-strike#sthash.FylWiOpp.dpuf - Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 2:52 pm: Nixit, excellent four square analogy! - Honeybear - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 3:12 pm: Carhardtt, thank your wife for her service to our state’s children. I hope she knows that AFSCME is with them. Many of my AFSCME Chicago friends are going to the rally. Stay Strong! - Carhartt Representative - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 3:16 pm: Thanks Honeybear. I think support from other unions is always appreciated. Last strike my wife went over to the nearby police station with several other teachers to use the bathroom and they received a standing ovation from the police. She also got a high five from a nurse at the CTU rally last time. That sort of thing means a lot. - walker - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 3:43 pm: Is that like a practice test? - Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 4:05 pm: ==We will strike, but only after the holidays== /s - blue dog dem - Tuesday, Nov 10, 15 @ 4:31 pm: In a nutshell, this is what fuels the raunerites. - CHILABORGUY - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 2:23 am: Like it or not Jesse Sharkey is correct. They must be very careful not to use actual strike language. Furthermore, so-called push polls are designed to move people’s opinion of a candidate based on highly charged, negative, false or loaded language. The language in their member questionnaire is pretty much identical to the language that both sides have used in the lead up to this survey. Once again, like it or not the survey they fashioned is an accurate depiction of conditions on the ground w teachers. And finally, if Rich or anyone else here feels that the results of this survey have been skewed in anyway whatsoever just come to Chicago and talk to a few teachers. I know a great number of teachers and I would say this survey accurately depicts their feelings toward both the leadership of CPS and the City of Chicago. - Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 6:30 am: The CTU must keep in mind, that the solvency of CPS lies in the hands of the RAUN Man. If the CTU thinks most of the state gives a darn about their plight, then they better think again. I have had a feeling for some time now, that they are the ones that could be the scapegoat out of this mess. - Cathartt Representative - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 9:18 am: Understand that what CPS is pushing the “Raun Man” to do is to save them $200 million from CTU pension payments. This not only hits pensions, but ends CPS’s block grants and leaves CPS in worse shape going forward. Things only get resolved with more revenue and CPS and the city putting their financial house in order. We’ve got 60% more high schools in Chicago in the last ten years. How can demographics justify the continued charter expansion? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.