Um, what?
Thursday, Feb 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
CTU praises arbitrator’s report on contract talks but rejects recommendations as falling short
Neutral “fact-finder” said CPS has more money to offer in contract negotiations — a positive for CTU. But union officials on Wednesday said the arbitrator only made recommendations on two of 15 key areas. CPS said it was still reviewing the report.
The Chicago Teachers Union said an independent arbitrator found that Chicago Public Schools officials have more money to offer in contract negotiations than they’re letting on — representing an unexpectedly positive outcome for the union. But CTU leaders said they would reject the neutral fact-finder’s report because it fell short in other areas — a move that could take the school district closer to a teachers’ strike.
CTU leaders said they were stunned by the report’s findings on financial issues, calling it the most favorable the union has received in the 15 years since a state law was created allowing for a neutral arbitrator to weigh in on CPS-CTU negotiating disputes.
* But…
The report is here.
- TNR - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 9:43 am:
We reject your legitimacy unless you absolutely agree with us 100 percent of the time.
That is so on brand for CTU.
- Chi resident - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 9:51 am:
Stacy Davis-Gatea has fired anyone who’s receipt critical of her and thinks she can do no wrong.
She’s going to lose her re election campaign if she can’t get over herself and agree a contract.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 9:53 am:
=We reject your legitimacy unless you absolutely agree with us 100 percent of the time.
That is so on brand for CTU.=
Spot on.
Also, I am still wondering why the CTU contract is such a big deal when the firefighters have gone more than three years without a contract. Seems like that one should be a priority. Unless CTU owns the mayor’s office I guess.
- OneMan - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:02 am:
Unless they agreed with the CTU on all 15 items the CTU submitted completely, the CTU was going to reject the finding. I get it; they elected a mayor; what good does that do you if you can’t get everything you want?
- Steve - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:04 am:
Think positive. Both sides can and will come to an agreement. Sure, there are issues to be solved . But, they’ll get it done. CTU still has a lot of support from Chicago taxpayers. It’s not like schools are going to be closed down.
- Chicagoan - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:07 am:
I stopped reading when the dude made the claim that more counselors at schools will have only a marginal impact on student mental health.
K.
- SWSider - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:09 am:
==Also, I am still wondering why the CTU contract is such a big deal when the firefighters ==
Idk, man. I feel like the quality of CPS has more of a bearing on things like population growth and the tax base than the Chicago Fire Department.
- TNR - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:23 am:
== still wondering why the CTU contract is such a big deal when the firefighters have gone more than three years without a contract. ==
I think it’s because teachers can go on strike while firefighters are not legally permitted to. The threat of a work stoppage draws a lot more attention.
== CTU still has a lot of support from Chicago taxpayers. ==
Can you point to a poll backing that statement up? Everything I’ve seen says the exact opposite.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:24 am:
=Idk, man.=
Agreed, in many ways. I am not trying to downplay the importance of a teachers contract. But fire dept is pretty important when you need it and they have gone three years without a contract. That is too long
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:32 am:
Message to local journalism, if you reach such dramatically different conclusions such that I have to read the primary sources myself to figure out what is going on, you do not really provide me, or any of your readers, a service.
- ChicagoBars - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:33 am:
So the independent fact-finder doesn’t believe in relying on fiscal magic revenue beans? That had to be a bitter pill for CTU leadership to read.
If CTU got a few Statehouse allies to actually introduce bills for some of their 25 revenue ideas that might help move this negotiation forward. Nothing like forcing a revenue bill to the floor to likely get 100 no votes to sharpen the mind.
- Original Rambler - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:43 am:
CTU failing to read the room. TNR spot on.
- Two Left Feet - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:55 am:
The negotiation should start with defining the pot of money. Then, where do you want it. They are doing it backwards. Everything in the contract has a cost. Here is our list of demands. You pay for it.
- 44 - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 10:56 am:
I guess we will find out, but the nonsense coming out of CTU and their puppet mayor makes it pretty hard to get the facts, let alone support. CTU will be lucky to get a strike vote, let alone support from the general public.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:22 pm:
=CTU still has a lot of support from Chicago taxpayers. =
I’m gonna need to see the data on this one too. It ain’t 2012 anymore. In my neck of the woods - which supported CTU at an 70% clip during the 2012 strike - I’d wager support is somewhere around the Mayor’s approval rating. *Everyone* knows who produced him
- Roman - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 1:44 pm:
=CTU still has a lot of support from Chicago taxpayers. =
No. The latest M3 Strategies poll had CTU way underwater: 30% favorable, 60% unfavorable. M3 is the IPI’s pollster, so reason to be skeptical. But a lot of the polling in the school board races showed similar numbers. Suffice to say, the CTU is nowhere near as popular as it was in the days when Karen Lewis was fighting Rahm. They are now closely associated with a mayor who struggles to maintain double-digit approval ratings.