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CTU teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff at 15 charter schools run by the Acero charter network formerly known as UNO are in the midst of their historic strike—the first against a charter operator in U.S. history.

Our demands are simple:

· Smaller class sizes
· Increased special education funding
· More autonomy over curriculum and grading
· Equal pay for equal work
· Additional resources for classrooms and students
· Sanctuary schools for our overwhelmingly Latinx student population
· Better compensation and treatment of paraprofessionals

We’re inviting families, students, all CTU district and ACTS members, and labor and community allies to show up, support Acero strikers and show that the whole community and family of labor is in solidarity to win for the students, teachers and support staff throughout the network!

ESPAÑOL

Los miembros de CTU en 15 escuelas charter UNO/Acero en Chicago están en huelga, la primera huelga de un operador de escuelas charter en la historia de los Estados Unidos.

Nuestras demandas son simples:
· Clases más pequeñas
· Aumento de fondos para educación especial
· Autonomía adicional sobre el curriculum y la calificación
· Salario igual para trabajos iguales
· Recursos adicionales para aulas y alumnos
· Escuelas Santuario para nuestra población mayoritaria de estudiantes latinx
· Mejor compensación y trato de los paraprofesionales

Venga para mostrar que la comunidad entera y la familia laboral están en solidaridad para ganar por los estudiantes, maestros y personal de apoyo por todas partes de la red Acero.

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, teachers, paraprofessionals and staff from four Chicago International Charter School (CICS) campuses went on strike to improve learning conditions in their schools by lowering class sizes, protecting student counseling and special education services, and winning equal pay for equal work. Meanwhile, millions of dollars have been withheld from CICS classrooms to pay for insider investments, executive salaries, skyrocketing management fees and to protect a corporate surplus of $36 million.

Chicago Teachers Union members at CICS schools demand that the tens of millions of dollars the company holds in reserve be used to hire more staff, reduce class sizes, extend maternity leave and pay a decent wage. CICS has the ability to settle this contract but refuses to do so, so we are keeping the pressure on.

On Feb. 9, we invite families, students, all CTU district and charter members, and labor and community allies to come out and show their support for CICS strikers. Stand in solidarity with families, teachers and support staff throughout the network. Join us!

STRIKE READY: Organizing to win for our students and our schools!

The Thursday conference will hear from former Massachusetts Teachers Association President Barbara Madeloni, who began this school year in the newly minted position of Education Coordinator for Labor Notes.

This weekday training is open to all. However, delegates are especially encouraged to pool their contractually established delegate preps for release with pay on this date. If you do not pool your preps, you must take a PB day or an 0 day to be released. You must register before February 22, 2019, in order to pool your preps. If you have any questions, please call April Stigger at (312) 329-6259.

Schedule

Afternoon Workshop Offerings

Click the arrow at right for descriptions. A note in the title indicates whether the workshop is designed for educators in district-run schools, charter schools or both.

New Delegates Expanded Session (12:30 – 3:15)

The New Delegates Workshop will span both workshop time slots, so if this workshop is for you, you won’t attend another afternoon workshop.

Offerings in First Workshop Time Slot (12:30 – 1:45)

Offerings in Second Workshop Time Slot (2:00 – 3:15)

Sorry, the opportunity to pool delegate preps for Thursday attendance has passed.

STRIKE READY: Organizing to win for our students and our schools!

Featuring United Teachers of Los Angeles President Alex Caputo-Pearl on the #RedForEd movement and their recent strike victory in LA.

All PPC, PPLC, LSC members, CTU delegates, CTU-ACTS building reps, Teacher Evaluation Liaisons, retired CTU members, and all CTU members interested in helping to organize their school or department should attend.

Join with CTU members and school building leaders to learn and share skills needed to fight for our contract and to enforce the rights we’ve won.

Schedule

Afternoon Workshop Offerings

Click the arrow at right for descriptions. A note in the title indicates whether the workshop is designed for educators in district-run schools, charter schools or both.

New Delegates Expanded Session (12:30 – 3:15)

The New Delegates Workshop will span both workshop time slots, so if this workshop is for you, you won’t attend another afternoon workshop.

Offerings in First Workshop Time Slot (12:30 – 1:45)

Offerings in Second Workshop Time Slot (2:00 – 3:15)

Registration Form

We are wielding unprecedented power and changing the way the charter industry works, an industry that has been short-changing us and our students for too long.

Five of our schools already announced strike authorizations, and more schools look set to join our coordinated strike calendar. And at least one other AFT Local is gearing up to announce and potentially strike with us.

Our fight is growing and inspiring others. Our power is our members, multiplied by our numbers, so let’s make a big effort to turn out Thursday. What we win in the remaining contracts will determine how high we raise the teaching profession and expectations for the rest of our careers.

Our demands are reasonable, are just, and will make our schools better places, including:

• Protections for diverse learners, English learners and immigrant students
• Adequate staffing and resources
• Equal pay for equal work

Facebook Event

Download the Strike Date Rally flyer

CTU All-Member Tele-Town Hall
7 p.m., Tuesday, May 14

Join us by phone at 7PM TUESDAY, May 14 for an all-CTU-member tele-town hall to learn more about current bargaining for a new CPS contract, plus developments in school issues and campaigns, this spring’s legislative agenda in Springfield, important info on our efforts to end the charter industry’s attacks on our wages and work, our upcoming May 22 ‘Keep the Promise for a Fair Contract’ rally, and more. We’ll be taking members’ calls live, so don’t miss this chance to ask a question, share your thoughts with your fellow members, and learn more about how to get involved in your school community to improve our working conditions.

This is a live event! Call in your questions starting at 7PM on Tuesday, May 14.

Around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, all CTU members will be called automatically via the number that the Union has on file for you.

If you want to check or change your number, visit the Member Link portal. If you have not signed in before, you will need your CTU Member ID or CPS Employee ID to register with Member Link.

Once you’re connected to the call, just hit the number ‘9’ on your phone to ask your question.

Don’t miss this chance to talk with CTU officers and rank-and-file members about our CPS contract fight and more, or to ask questions about bargaining and union initiatives. We look forward to speaking with you!

A meeting for non-union and union charter educators to reflect on current issues with their administrations’ reopening plans and define ideal remote learning conditions for the fall + what action we have to take to win

• Chicago charter students and staff will not be the canaries in the coal mine
• Join us for a virtual town hall to discuss charter school reopening plans and how we as educators can fight back to win safe learning conditions for ALL Chicago students.
• In addition to multiple teachers from different grade levels and content areas (including sped teachers), speakers will also include two students, a parent, and non-teaching staff.

Register in advance for this webinar:
Zoom Registration

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

CTU members in the charter division have coordinated our contracts in the charter division in order to maximize our collective power to win rights, funding, and power for our members, our students and our communities.

As we move towards opening bargaining with our employers, your voice is critical to ensure that our process is transparent, member-led, and effective.

CAT teams in your building will be doing one-on-one interviews with each of our members for each of us to be able to contribute genuine feedback.

Sign up below.