NO UNION IN THE UNION

Future CPS teacher

Usually, when you cannot figure out why a certain deal was made, the mantra is, “Follow the money.”  But this colloquialism does not work when trying to figure out why the teachers at three Chicago Public Schools (CPS) voted to extend the school day 90 minutes.  The union opposed the measure because the teachers would receive a miniscule pittance compared to their hourly value.

For those unfamiliar with the story, here are the facts:

(1)  Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard want to extend the public school day by 90 minutes.  They offered a 2% raise to teachers if they would accept the plan.

(2)  Union president Karen Lewis declined the proposal on behalf of union members, saying the increase amounted to $3.41 per hour for a teacher earning $57,000 a year. “To that we say, thanks but no thanks,” she said in a statement.

(3) Suddenly last week, the Mayor and CEO Brizard made the announcement that, “Genevieve Melody Elementary and Skinner North Elementary schools voted on a waiver that would lengthen their school day by 90 minutes. The passage of waivers require [sic] a 50% + 1 of all voting teachers. Both schools received the required 50% + 1 to pass the waiver and extend their school day by 90 minutes."*( see important footnote)

(4)  The teachers at the schools are accepting the extra work in exchange for a 2% raise that will be given as a one-time lump sum bonus roughly equal to 2 percent of their particular district's average salary. Across the board, the average CPS teacher’s salary is $57,000., so that would translate into about $1140 per teacher BEFORE taxes!  After taxes, figure about $700 total for a teacher to agree to work 7.5 hours more per week starting immediately for the entire school year on two of the schools.  Melody will implement the change starting in January.  None of this makes financial sense for the teachers.  Why would they do this?

(5) In addition, the Chicago Tribune reported,  “In exchange for agreeing to the longer school day, the two schools making the change immediately will receive up to $150,000 in discretionary funds, while Melody will receive $75,000.”

(6)  The Chicago Teacher’s Union posted on its blog, “CTU contends that the Board has coerced principals to force this waiver vote on their staff. We have heard of gifts being offered as bribes to teachers and other concessions if they vote for a longer school day.”  The union has also filed a grievance claiming CPS violated the collective bargaining agreement with the union and may also have violated fair labor practices.  

(7)  CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey told NBC Chicago, "We'd wish that the Board of Education would stop trying to handle important discussions that need to happen with the teachers in the city like a political football and with press releases.”

(8)  Emanuel and Brizard said,“We thank the courageous teachers and principals today for their dedication to investing in our children’s future by supporting a longer school day. This is a historic step forward in bringing the kind of change we need in the classroom to help our children get the world class education they deserve.”  I think the word “courageous” is a bit strong!  Unless this debacle has now become like a war, and the teachers (soldiers) have sided with government rather than their own rank and file … would you consider this brave and daring?

(9)  CTU lobbed back a grenade by Sharkey saying, "We have had no communication with the Board (of Education), we have not seen what was voted on out in the schools, nor have we had a chance to talk to our delegates in these schools. This is a bad example of political football school reform.”

So now, you have all the facts, but we’re still missing the answer to the question.  Why did the teachers at the three schools break ranks with a union of nearly 300,000 members that has represented them for 74 years?  ?  For once, I have no answer.  I can hardly wait to find out the truth!

*Notice the incorrect grammar in the statement by Mayor Emanuel issued by CPS.  It should be, “the passage of waivers “requires”, not “require.”  That is because “passage,” the subject of the sentence, is singular and the verb must agree in number. Pretty hysterical that the press office of CPS does not know grammar! Obviously, neither does major media in Chicago  because nobody picked up on that mistake!