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The Chicago Teacher Union Commemorates the Life and Legacy of Karen Lewis
“Two years ago today, students and families of this city lost a champion; educators lost a fierce leader, and the labor movement lost a friend and a true trade unionist…
read moreNeed your responses: CPS 2023-2024 Calendar Feedback Survey
CPS appears to be moving ahead with planning next year’s school calendar, and we need CTU members’ input!
Key issues raised at January 11 House of Delegates meeting
Last night, the House of Delegates held its first meeting of the new year, and delegates dug into a number of important issues that we want to summarize for members. For more details, please talk to your delegate and ask when the next union meeting in your building will take place. If you’re a delegate and need help setting up a meeting, please reach out to your Field Rep or organizer.
CTU Endorses Four More City Council Challengers
At its January 11, 2023 meeting, the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates voted to endorse four additional challengers for City Council: Victoria “Vicko” Alvarez (15), Ronnie Mosley (21), Denali Dasgupta (39), and Nick Ward (48).
Resolution in Support of National Paid Family Leave
This resolution was adopted by the CTU House of Delegates at its January 11, 2023 meeting.
Lightfoot shakes down CTU members for student campaign support in appalling failure of ethics … again
This mayor continues to refuse to provide students with what they need in their classrooms and school communities — while the mayor’s campaign strong arms educators to try to line up those students as unpaid campaign staff. This is exploitative and wrong on so many levels – and one more reason Lori Lightfoot does not deserve a second term as mayor.
Winning back pay and job security for school clerk Deanna Myron
Veteran school clerk Deanna Myron was targeted for layoff for her union work. We’re delighted to report that we’ve secured a favorable settlement in Deanna’s arbitration and ULP cases opposing her layoff.
New poll shows Brandon is winning! Plus: MLK Day Rally and Day of Action on 1/16/23
Chicago media outlets are this morning reporting on a new independent poll that shows CTU-endorsed candidate Brandon Johnson tied for first place with Chuy Garcia, while Lori Lightfoot gets less than half the support of either of the front runners. These new poll numbers reflect the CTU’s effectiveness in advancing Brandon’s campaign working in collaboration with United Working Families, broader communities, and of course the grassroots efforts of hundreds and hundreds of CTU members. We can do this!
Mayor Lightfoot Rescinds Parental leave expansion for CTU. Sign the petition!
Mayor Lightfoot has once again interfered with CPS operations and derailed a process that was scheduled to expand our paid parental leave rights by a factor of 6, from 2 weeks to 12, come January 25th.
Petition to Mayor: Equalize CPS Parental Leave with City Workers
On November 15, CPS officials told the CTU that CPS would recommend that the Board of Education vote to approve a new parental leave policy modeled on a similar policy available to city employees, starting on January 1st, 2023. The policy enables city workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave. In December, CPS further committed to the CTU that they were working to nail down details about the policy. Then, suddenly, in late December, the Department of Labor Relations reversed CPS’ position.
Sanctuary protections, bilingual supports fuel Linda Perales’ teaching and organizing life
CTU Organizer Linda Perales has wanted to be a teacher since first grade. But she never dreamed that, as a teacher, she would be forced to work outside, in sub-zero temperatures and blowing snow, to protect herself, her colleagues and their school community from COVID.
Solidarity with Howard Brown Health Workers United
Unionized healthcare workers are on strike today through Thursday, January 5, at all Howard Brown Health locations across Chicago.
Guest teachers: 12/23 payout for November incentive pay
As a result of our advocacy, today CPS has confirmed and posted to Frontline that the November monthly incentive for guest teachers ($420 or $1000) will pay out for all that are eligible this Friday, December 23.
CTU members to work remotely this Friday
We knew it made zero sense to force CTU members to trek through a blizzard to empty buildings. Now we don’t have to.
Supporting school communities confronting trauma and violence
As a union that is a part of a larger movement for equity and justice, we have to act and build the supports we do not have currently.
7A Mon., 12/19: Lightfoot ignores dangerous lead issues at South Side school while she drags on replacing lead water lines
While Mayor Lightfoot continues to drag on replacing dangerous lead water pipes for hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans, educators at a South Side school that serves a large number of special education students are scrambling to force Lightfoot’s CPS team to address serious lead paint risks in their school facility.
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