Chicago teachers strike continues, earliest classes could resume is Wednesday

Chicago teachers strike continues, earliest classes could resume is Wednesday

Chicago teachers will remain on strike at least through Tuesday after members of the union’s House of Delegates said they wanted more time to review a tentative deal reached over the weekend.

After meeting with teachers for more than two hours, Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis said delegates could vote as early as Tuesday to end the strike, meaning classes would not resume before Wednesday.

Members want the additional time to digest the details of the contract offer, Lewis said.

"Our members are not happy," Lewis said. "They want to know if there is anything more they can get."

She added: "They feel rushed."

The strike's extension clearly upset some CPS parents who have scrambled to find alternatives during the strike -- particularly since union leadership had given the impression that Sunday's vote was a formality and classes would resume Monday.

"It’s very frustrating," said parent Humberto Ramirez of Jefferson Park. "We all kind of put everything on hold in finding different ways to watch the kids and keep them entertained. It’s been very very frustrating, especially knowing that earlier (this week) that they were close, that they were simply going to be putting it to a vote. It certainly sounded as though they were very, very close and they were simply then dotting their I’s and crossing their T’s."

The proposed deal calls for a three-year contract, with an option for a fourth year that both the district and union would have to agree to. There would be 3 percent raises in years one and four, and 2 percent raises in years two and three, according to the union.

So-called "step and lane" increases, raises given out for years of service and continuing education, would be preserved under the contract, according to the union. And the three highest steps would be increased.
Originally posted: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-teachers-union-meets-on-contract-today-20120916,0,4830609.story