|
|
Chicago Charter Teachers Strike, Win
Bartlett, Robert
http://solidarity-us.org/atc/199/charter-teachers-strike/Date Written: 2019-03-01 Publisher: Against the Current Year Published: 2019 Resource Type: Article Cx Number: CX23487 Reporting on the unprecedented and successful strike of charter school teachers in Chicago. Abstract: -- Excerpt: Last December 4th educators at the Acero charter chain in Chicago became the first charter teachers in the country to go on strike. This was both stunning to the charter industry, which was created in part to avoid the inconvenience of unionized educators, and revelatory to educators across the country. After picketing four days, the unity and enthusiasm of the charter teachers, along with widespread sympathy and solidarity among parents, forced the Acero leadership to capitulate. This led to a major step in closing the gap between charter and Chicago public school teachers on compensation, hours and working conditions. The demands that charter teachers raised included issues that the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) are not even legally able to raise in bargaining with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). In 1995, Bill 4.5 amended the Illinois School Code to limit mandated bargaining to wages and benefits. Issues including class size and working conditions are only "permitted" if the school board agrees. Subject Headings |