Senate prepares to pass long-sought CTU bill
Saturday, Jan 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
A 25-year-old, one-page section of an Illinois law governing educational labor that limits the Chicago Teachers Union’s bargaining rights could be repealed as soon as this weekend in Springfield, a move that would mark a celebratory end to a long lobbying fight for the union.
A repeal could have serious short-term implications for Chicago Public Schools’ reopening plans if the bill passes and is signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and a significant long-term impact in the CTU’s relationship with CPS. The repeal bill was passed in the House in March 2019, and it appears likely the Senate will follow suit in the week ahead — though it’s unclear if the governor will immediately sign it. A Pritzker spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment Friday.
Lightfoot, who campaigned on repealing this part of the law, is now concerned about those prospects. In a letter sent to state senators Friday, she wrote that a repeal “at this critical time would impair our efforts to reopen Chicago Public Schools and jeopardize our fiscal and educational gains.” […]
Section 4.5 of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, passed in 1995, only covers unions negotiating with Chicago Public Schools — all other districts in the state are not affected. The section limits the bargaining power of the CTU — and other unions that represent school support staff — to bread and butter labor issues such as pay and benefits. It allows CPS to avoid negotiations over several school-related topics such as class sizes, staff assignments, charter schools, subcontracting, layoffs and the length of the school day and year. […]
Section 4.5 was cited last month by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board as a key reason why an injunction sought by the CTU to stop CPS from resuming in-person classes could not be granted. The issues the union wanted to negotiate over, the board said, weren’t mandatory subjects of bargaining under Section 4.5 — so it wasn’t clear that the CTU’s accusation that CPS violated labor law by failing to negotiate was valid.
* The CTU response is in the story, so here’s the response of Chicago Federation of Labor Bob Reiter…
January 6, 2021
President Don Harmon 329 Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706
Dear President Harmon:
On behalf of the Chicago Federation of Labor, I write today to express the CFL’s support of HB 2275, sponsored by Senator Cunningham, and to ask that the Senate pass the bill during the upcoming lame duck session.
The right to collectively bargain is fundamental to establishing safe working conditions, fair appropriate compensation, and, as has been increasingly used by labor unions across Illinois, to provide for the common good in our communities. This is particularly important in school settings, as providing real equity to those we serve – increasingly, low-income students and students of color – is vital for both our democracy and our workforce.
HB 2275 is thus an important equity measure for 20% of students in Illinois as well as tens of thousands of workers. HB 2275 overturns a component of the 1995 Chicago School Reform Act that put unacceptable limitations on subjects of collective bargaining for every bargaining unit in the Chicago Public Schools, including limits on negotiating over staffing levels, time and location of work, health and safety standards, and outsourcing work to third-party contractors, all of which have taken on heightened importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. CPS is the only district in the state with this particular provision, and even within CPS, charter school operators are required to negotiate over these crucial issues.
Early in my career as a labor attorney and advocate, I directly represented Chicago Teachers Union members in the workplace. I feel strongly now, as I did then, that the inequity created by the 1995 law is a continuing blight on public sector labor law in our state. Many have pledged over the decades to correct this unjust provision, and the time to act is now.
The right to collectively bargain over these crucial issues is of the utmost importance to us. HB 2275 restores that right for the State’s largest school district and brings fairness and equity to educational collective bargaining in Illinois. We ask that you support the bill and assist in its passage. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
In solidarity,
Robert G. Reiter, Jr.
President, Chicago Federation of Labor
The Illinois AFL-CIO’s response is here.
- @misterjayem - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 1:06 pm:
“Lightfoot, who campaigned on repealing this part of the law, is now concerned about those prospects.”
More flip-flops than the Jesse White Tumblers.
– MrJM
- DuPage Saint - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 1:18 pm:
So it sounds like they want to give the teacher union about the same rights that the police union has, the right to bargain over more than money and benefits. Then with the proposed police reforms will take away police bargaining rights and make them only bread and butter issues. Basically switching their bargaining rights. I cannot wait to see FOP response. I bet their heads explode
- Ashland Adam - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 1:20 pm:
All other Illinois k-12 school districts have the right to collectively bargain class size and scheduling. Seems a no-brainer that teachers in Chicago should as well.
Other education measures during the Lame Duck session are being considered, partly to address the need for more teachers. These other measures (contained in HB 2170/SB 458 - Sen. Lightford’s omnibus education bill) may result in more entering the teaching profession.
But once in the profession, how long will these teachers remain? What is the cost to districts and school principals in recruiting, training, on-boarding yet another cohort of educators? Must be a huge expense, not to mention the time school leaders spend mentoring newbies.
In Chicago, teacher turnover is higher than elsewhere in the state. This is due to conditions in the schools (which the ILBC package does not address).
This bill will allow teachers to advocate for common-sense solutions to everyday challenges - including class size and scheduling. It might help stanch the exit of teachers from Chicago schools.
Again - all other teachers in districts throughout Illinois can negotiate class size, scheduling and other issues. Chicago teachers should have equal rights.
- dbk - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 1:31 pm:
–negotiating over staffing levels, time and location of work, health and safety standards, and outsourcing work to third-party contractors –
Agreed - it’s sometimes difficult for members of the general public who have not worked in a classroom environment to appreciate how important these are, even in non-pandemic times.
Especially, of course, as CPS continues its push to force teachers back into schools.
- DuPage - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 2:07 pm:
Teachers in the tier 2 pension system has a disincentive to remain teaching in Illinois. They start off teaching not thinking about retirement. Within a few years, they take a close look at the tier 2 pensions and realize they will get fewer dollars out then what they paid in. Also they don’t get social security. This should be pointed out to anyone considering going into teaching in Illinois, before signing them up for these teacher education programs.
As long as tier 2 is in effect, Illinois will continue to have an ongoing teacher shortage.
As far as taking away more collective bargaining rights from police, Chicago is already a couple thousand short on police officers, this will make it worse. Many are retiring, very few are applying.
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 3:50 pm:
Not too many things matter more than class size in high-poverty schools of which there are many in Chicago.
High-poverty classrooms typically have more struggling readers and behavior problems among other challenges.
Imagine yourself in a classroom of 38 or 40 fifth graders with reading abilities that range from nonreader to sixth grade level and 1/3 of them are LD, BD or both.
- CPS Parent - Saturday, Jan 9, 21 @ 10:28 pm:
As a parent of three elementary school children in Chicago Public Schools, I write to express my opposition to HB2275. CTU has become a bully in Chicago, consistently holding the city’s children hostage while they pursue their own self-interests. The leadership disingenuously uses the guise of “equity” to claim their need for more bargaining power, but they consistently fail to negotiate in good faith, moving the goal posts every time CPS makes offers to address their constant demands, and displaying complete disregard for how their actions impact the children.
Currently at issue is the CPS reopening plan. Based on data indicating widening racial inequities due to the impacts of remote learning, CPS put together a thoughtful and optional plan for children to return to some in person learning, relying on guidance released by the the CDC, our local public health officials and our medical community. CTU is pursuing all avenues (including manipulating data released by CPS) to undermine CPS efforts to return to optional and part-time learning. If HB2275 passes, CPS children will not see the inside of a classroom for a very long time - Chicago is already an outlier in the United States in the fact that its public schools have not returned to some form of in-person learning (even New York City did so in the fall). Chicago will see families move out of the city and state and all of the amazing work to build up CPS over the last decade will be undone. CTU pours all of its resources into its media campaigns, insisting “when we fight, we win” and often dangerously implies that it represents the voices of all minorities, when really, no one has a chance to voice an opinion if it is counter to what CTU wants.
If the CTU is granted more bargaining power, the children of CPS (80 percent of whom are minorities) will be the ones who pay the long term price. Thank you for your consideration.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 12, 21 @ 6:46 am:
did anyone ever think tthat teacgers leave chicago because no one is fixing the problem that kids are unteachable because the 18 hours that the children arent in school there being taught nothing in the home?is that issue ever going to be adressed.what about parental responsibility?where is a bill making that a law.wait it is a law,how about enforcing it.what a novel idea.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 12, 21 @ 6:51 am:
classroom sizes have always ranged in size from small to large.if you want the child to have one on one tutor time wasnt that always the role of the parent.why doesnt ctu put any emphasis on that policy.ctu lacks courage across the board to make any decision that would benefit the child,all of there decisions have been to benifit themselves,just ask the individual how puerto rico beaches and dinner in old san juan were.im sure the answer will be she was there helping the students somehow