A couple of hundred demonstrators aligned with the Chicago Teachers Union crowded outside Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office Friday to voice opposition to district cost-cutting policies on the first of four unpaid furlough days enacted by Chicago Public Schools.
"We are here to let the mayor, the Board of Education and the upper echelon of Chicago Public Schools know: Enough is enough," said Michael Brunson, the union’s recording secretary. "The imposition of furloughs on our members, before the ink even dries on our recently negotiated contract is an outrage."
CTU’s protest comes two days after the union’s governing body demanded the "immediate resignation" of Emanuel-appointed schools chief Forrest Claypool.
"He is not an educator, he is a terminator," Brunson said Friday.
State Rep. Will Guzzardi, a Chicago Democrat and CTU ally, pointed to the ongoing impasse in Springfield and Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a measure that would have sent $215 million to the school district.
"State government seems far off and distant and hard to reach, but the decisions that we’re forced to make at the city are governed by factors that happen down there in Springfield," he said.
Rauner said Democrats went back on a deal that tied the school aid measure to broader changes to the state’s highly indebted employee retirement system. The administration was open to reconsidering the bill if lawmakers approve statewide pension reforms, according to his office.
CPS orders 4 unpaid furlough days for all employees Juan Perez Jr.
Chicago Public Schools on Friday ordered four unpaid furlough days for its employees as a cost-cutting measure the district said is necessary because of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of legislation that would have provided $215 million in state aid.
The furlough days won’t interrupt classes because…
Chicago Public Schools on Friday ordered four unpaid furlough days for its employees as a cost-cutting measure the district said is necessary because of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of legislation that would have provided $215 million in state aid.
The furlough days won’t interrupt classes because…
(Juan Perez Jr.)
Classes were already scheduled to be out of session Friday for a "school improvement day." Students get to stay home on those days, but teachers and staff are supposed to report for a paid day of planning and other work.
The union says the furloughs eliminate critical professional development opportunities and point to a clause in its recent contract agreement with City Hall that requires the Board of Education give CTU 10 professional development days per year.
A resolution from the union’s governing body this week called the furloughs a violation of the contract and labor law. It’s not clear how far they’ll push the issue in the legal realm.
The union said the furloughs could delay the entry of students’ grades for at least a week.
jjperez@chicagotribune.com
Teachers union governing body calls for CPS chief Claypool to resign Juan Perez Jr.
The governing body of the Chicago Teachers Union called for the “immediate resignation” of schools chief Forrest Claypool on Wednesday, a symbolic gesture that also denounced budget cuts and layoffs implemented by the city amid ongoing budget turmoil.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who appointed Claypool…
The governing body of the Chicago Teachers Union called for the “immediate resignation” of schools chief Forrest Claypool on Wednesday, a symbolic gesture that also denounced budget cuts and layoffs implemented by the city amid ongoing budget turmoil.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who appointed Claypool…
(Juan Perez Jr.)
Twitter @perezjr
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