Sunday, September 9, 2012

Union opens 'strike headquarters,' community and parent groups line up behind teachers

Chicago Public Schools teachers lined up Saturday outside the Chicago Teachers Union’s new “strike headquarters” to collect “on strike” picket signs they plan to use at schools Monday morning if the union and school district haven’t reached a contract agreement by then.
Bargaining between the two sides resumed shortly after noon Saturday. A Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman said both board president David Vitale and the mayor’s deputy chief of staff for education, Beth Swanson, are at the negotiations. She said Swanson has been advising the mayor day to day on talks.
But union vice president Jesse Sharkey reiterated disappointment with the direction of negotiations. Sharkey said the union “really laid its cards on the table” and had a “frank discussion” with Vitale earlier in the week about the issues that separate the two sides.
“The offer they came back with was disappointing to say the least,” said Sharkey. He would not give any details about the union’s most recent proposals to the district or what the board offered, but said negotiators are willing to work “24 hours if necessary, up to the deadline, to get this done."

Read more: http://www.wbez.org/union-opens-strike-headquarters-community-and-parent-groups-line-behind-teachers-102285

No comments: