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Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders to join CTU, SEIU at rally for fair contracts for Chicago workers
7:00 p.m. Tuesday., Sept. 24: CTU/SEIU labor rally for fair contracts CTU HQ, 1901 W. Carroll Ave., Chicago CTU, SEIU Local 73 will be joined by UAW strikers, SEIU HCIL Mt. Sinai health workers, suburban teachers, grassroots groups to call for fair contracts that... read moreStriking nurses, auto workers show the path forward to dignity for all
Another charter strike looms in Chicago as district educators ready for strike authorization vote next week, part of a wave of labor actions that seek to bargain for the common good. CHICAGO, September 19, 2019—CTU President Jesse Sharkey issued the following...
Sunday bargaining update, 9/22 tele-town hall, and next steps
Dear Members: Bargaining has increased in frequency, but has not broken through, as CPS continues to avoid movement on key substantive issues. CPS made proposals this week about decreasing teacher directed prep time, increasing testing, and rolling back important wins...
CTU and SEIU 73 need your creative art-design support
CTU and SEIU 73 are holding a community Art Build for public education in early October: Friday, October 4, 5:00pm-10:00pm; Saturday, October 5, 10:00am-10:00pm; and Sunday, October 6, 10:00am-7:00pm at CTU Center. The Art Build is modeled after recent public education/Red for Ed art builds in Los Angeles (UTLA) and Oakland (OEA).
CPS needs checks and balances to protect students
Blistering DOE report and oversight is no guarantee that lack of accountability will end. CHICAGO, September 12, 2019—CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates issued the following statement in response to the federal Department of Education's report on CPS' failure to...
Remembering 9-11
CHICAGO, September 11, 2019—CTU President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement on the anniversary of 9-11: "Today, we remember the lives lost on...
9/10/19: An update from today’s bargaining session
Dear all: Last week at the House of Delegates meeting, I told folks that Mayor Lightfoot had reached out. Today, we met. It was our first face to face meeting. My takeaways: It seems the mayor is willing to talk about issues—but it is unclear if she is willing to...
Bargaining Update for September 10, 2019
Dear CTU Members: I hope your first week back to school went well! If it didn't, the union wants to hear about it, so reach out to your field rep with issues. Our push for a fair contract continues—we've scheduled three bargaining sessions this week. Progress...
Marca Bristo, movement-builder
Activist led with vision and principle. CHICAGO, September 10, 2019—CTU President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement on the death of Marca Bristo: The Chicago Teachers Union was saddened to learn of the passing of Marca Bristo, a fearless advocate of...
Your employee handbook is not a contract
Please share your school’s employee handbook with your field rep and bring anything you have questions about to their attention.
Solidarity for School Communities!
The CTU House of Delegates last night voted overwhelmingly to authorize a Sept. 24-26 strike vote as we continue to campaign for a fair contract for district-run public schools. Tomorrow, we need members to reach out to parents at their schools for one-on-one...
CTU delegates vote unanimously to set date for strike authorization vote
Despite over a billion dollars in annual new revenue, few improvements – and many cuts – hammer hundreds of schools on first day of school. CHICAGO, September 4, 2019—While CPS is raking in more than $1 billion in new annual dollars this year, too many students...
IFT: Don’t be fooled by “fake news!”
The Illinois Federation of Teachers has compiled this list of illegitimate “news” sources. Use good judgement and check sources when you see something suspicious in the news.
Bargaining update: What’s on the table—and what must improve
An update on bargaining last week: We presented on issues that include REACH—proposing that highly rated (Proficient and Excellent), tenured members should be able to skip an evaluation cycle. We also presented moving to 25 steps for pay scales, and improving base pay...
As students return to school, time for mayor settle a fair contract
5:00 a.m. Tues., Sept. 3: Press conference Juarez high school, 1450 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago High school loses $840,000 and nine teaching positions among hundreds of schools confronting budget cuts in new $7.7 billion CPS budget. CHICAGO—As students return for the first...
Labor Day: The backbone of our city is our workers
Labor unions anchor the commitment to bargain for the common good. CHICAGO, September 2, 2019—CTU President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement today to mark Labor Day: Today we honor the working women and men who literally built this nation—the workers who...
Fighting for Fair Contracts
CTU is fighting for quality pay and benefits (including health care), full staffing in our schools, smaller class sizes and justice for students and families. Get updates and resources for our contract fights here.
