The chart below shows how bargaining positions have moved over the course of negotiations between CTU and CPS on safe reopening.
You can also download this chart in a printable PDF format to share.
Download the Bargaining Chart as PDF
| Critical Issues | Where We Started | Where CPS Started | CPS’ 1/29 proposals | CPS Position as of 2/3/2021 | CTU Position as of 2/3/2021 | 2/7/2021 Tentative Framework |
| Schedule for Return to In-person Learning | In October, CPS announced that it planned to resume in-person instruciton in November. In November, CPS announced that pre-K and cluster staff were required to report in person on January 4, with students returning January 11; and that K-8 staff must report on January 25, with student returning February 1. | a) Pre-K and Special Education Cluster Programs resume February 8, 2021 for both students and staff. b) Teachers and staff for Kindergarten through 5th grade report on February 15, 2021. Students in those grades report on February 22, 2021. c) Teachers and staff for 6th through 8th grade report on February 22, 2021. Students in those grades report on March 1, 2021. | a) Pre-K and Special Education Cluster Programs resume February 11, 2021 for both students and staff. b) Teachers and staff for Kindergarten through 5th grade report on February 22, 2021. Students in those grades report on March 1. c) Teachers and staff for 6th through 8th grade report on March 1. Students in those grades report on March 8, 2021. | |||
| Health Metrics | Below 3% positivity to reopen district; close schools based on neighborhood transmission rates | No rules for opening the district; no rules to quarantine a school due to an outbreak. (Comments about use of an 18 day “doubling rate” in press conferences.) | Close district if above 3% positivity from “surveillance testing” of CPS staff. Rules about suspending operations at a school based on 3 unrelated positive cases in 2 weeks. | Close district if above 3% positivity from “surveillance testing” of CPS staff. Rules about suspending operations at a school based on 3 unrelated positive cases in 2 weeks. | Meet criteria in CDC “Lower risk of transmission in schools” category (positivity below 5% and less than 20 new cases per 100K residents every 14 days) | District Operational Pause – Following the resumption of in-person learning under this agreement, CPS shall pause in-person learning for 14 days and transition fully to remote instruction citywide if the COVID-19 test positivity rate (7 day rolling average) in the City of Chicago meets the following criteria: 1) Rate increases for 7 consecutive days: 2) Rate for each of the 7 consecutive days is at least 15% higher (i.e. one-fifth higher) than the rate one week prior; and 3) Rate on the 7th day is 10% or greater. CPS shall resume in-person learning when the 14-day pause expires, or when the criteria for pausing in-person learning are no longer met, whichever is later. Classroom Operational Pause – Triggered by 1 or more positive cases present during contagious period. School Operational Pause – Triggered by 3 or more confirmed cases at a school wtihin a 14-day period. |
| Vaccines | Offer all staff opportunity to be fully vaccinated before required to return in-person. | No plan. | Has offered to prioritize certain groups when vaccine is available, but no specifics. | Has offered 1,500 vaccine doses per week for all CPS employees. Wants to target vaccines to bargaining unit employees with accommodations and require them to return to in-person work after 1 dose. | 1) CPS must coordinate with health providers to ensure at least 1,500 CTU members are vaccinated every week. 2) CPS must provide at least 1,500 vaccines to CTU members per week, and increase that number proportionate to future increases in Chicago’s increased vaccine supply. | 1) CPS Employer Vaccination Program – CPS shall provide at least 1,500 first vaccine doses per week to CPS employees. Second doses are guaranteed and do not count against weekly allotment. Number of doses provided by CPS per week will increase as the overall Chicago supply of vaccines increase. 2) Protect Chicago Plus and CPS Vaccine Partner Program – CPS must make all concerted efforts to acquire a total of at least 1,500 vaccine doses per week through a combination of the these two programs: (a) “Protect Chicago Plus is a City of Chicago vaccination initative that has targeted Chicago’s 15 communities hardest hit by Covid-19. Under this offer, CPS employees who live or work in one of those communities are eligible for vaccination through Protect Chicago Plus. 3) Vaccine Priority List. CPS shall prioritize within the CTU bargaining unit vaccination of (1) bargaining unit employees in the order of their phase-in group below and clerks and other employees who are working in-person on or after February 8; (2) bargaining unit members in highest risk age and demographic categories; (3) bargaining unit employees who live or work in one of the ten zip codes in the City of Chicago with the highest Covid-19 positivity rates; and (4) bargaining unit employees with telework accommodations who request vaccination in order to resume in-person work. 4) At least 2,000 doses per week must be offered to Pre-K and Cluster staff, and staff who have requested household accommodations during the week of February 8. Half will be offered to each group. 5) Employees will be permitted paid time to get vaccinated |
| Accommodations | Telework for all staff in a COVID-19 high-risk category themselves, or with a household member in a high-risk category. | Telework for some staff in COVID-19 high-risk categories. | Telework for all staff in a COVID-19 high-risk category themselves Telework for 20% of staff with a household member in a COVID-19 high-risk category. | Telework for all staff in a COVID-19 high-risk category themselves Telework for 20% of staff with a household member in a COVID-19 high-risk category. Offer of unpaid job protected leave and/or returning to in-person after 1 dose of vaccine. | Grant accommodations for all employees with medical risks, who are primary caregivers for family members with medical risks, or who have household members who have medical risks. | 1) Employees with Medical Risks or Primary Caregivers for Relatives with Medical Risks. CPS will grant approval for telework accommodations for all. These employees are eligible to receive vaccinations as part of the district vaccination plan, and may opt to return to in-person work once vaccinated. 2) Employees with Household Members with Medical Risks. CPS will grant telework accommodations to the extent operationally feasible. Principals will reasonably utilize the following strategies so as to maximize the number of HH accommodations granted: Employees who requeseted a HH accommodation by January 24 will be entitled to weekly testing at their school, and: a) 1,000 additional vaccines will be offered the week of February 8 to employees in this group who commit by February 9 to return to work in-person no later than 14 calendar days after receiving their first dose. 3) Employees with Childcare Challenges. CPS will granted telework accommodations as operationally feasible. Employees will have family leave rights as provided by law. Employees not granted a telework accommodation related to childcare will continue to be offered an alternate accommodation whereby their children may attend their regular school on all days when students are in attendance or a CPS Learning Hub. 4) Employees not Granted Accommodations. Employees without an accommodation and who are not fully vaccinated may, upon request, take a job-protected unpaid leave of absence, with full benefits, for the third academic quarter. They shall remain eligible to receive vaccinations as part of the broader district vaccination plan. They shall return to paid status upon reporting for in-person work. 5) Timing and duration of staffing decisions. To the extent legally allowed, CPS will reevaluate accommodations and leaves prior to the 4th quarter, based upon levels of in-person attendance for the 4th quarter. Bargaining unit employees who take the unpaid job-protected leaves created by the agreement may be offered the opportunity to return from lave to provide remote instruciton at any time during their leave. Accommodations and leave requests for 4th quarter may not be unreasonably denied. |
| Testing | Baseline testing. Test all staff every week, test students in 40 schools with highest neighborhood rates | No plan. | Test 50% of staff/week, test 25% of students in 10 zip codes with highest rates | Tentative agreement to: 1) Test all symptomatic students and staff 2) Test 100% of in-person employees per week at schools at the 134 schools in high covid case count neighborhoods 3) Test 50% of in-person employees per week at all other neighborhoods 4) Test students at the 134 schools in high covid case count neighborhoods 5) Offer testing to all staff before return to in-person work 6) Offer testing to all students age 10 and above upon return to in-person | Tentative agreement to: 1) Test all symptomatic students and staff 2) Test 100% of in-person employees per week at schools at the 134 schools in high covid case count neighborhoods 3) Test 50% of in-person employees per week at all other neighborhoods 4) Test students at the 134 schools in high covid case count neighborhoods 5) Offer testing to all staff before return to in-person work 6) Offer testing to all students age 10 and above upon return to in-person | |
| Ventilation | CPS must audit ventilation, comply with ASHRAE standards. | No plan. | CPS conducted audit, commitment to 5 air changes/hr, portable air purifiers, ability for staff to self-check effectiveness, and non-compliant rooms will not be used. | Tentative agreement. CPS conducted audit, commitment to 5 air changes/hr, portable air purifiers, ability for staff to self-check effectiveness, and non-compliant rooms will not be used. | Tentative agreement. CPS conducted audit, commitment to 5 air changes/hr, portable air purifiers, ability for staff to self-check effectiveness, and non-compliant rooms will not be used. | |
| Workspaces | Workspaces for clinicians and nurses, shall meet therapeutic, instructional, and safety needs | No plan. | Workspaces that do not meet therapeutic, instructional, safety, and ventilation standards will not be used. | Tentative agreement. Workspaces that do not meet therapeutic, instructional, safety, and ventilation standards will not be used. | Tentative agreement. Workspaces that do not meet therapeutic, instructional, safety, and ventilation standards will not be used. | |
| Remote Learning Improvements | Reduce student screen time by 1 hour, increase prep by one hour. Provide additional tech support to families. | No plan. | CPS continues to propose no improvements for the over 80% of families choosing remote learning. | CPS continues to propose no improvements for the over 80% of families choosing remote learning. | CPS shall provide families with additional technology and support for remote learning, including, but not limited to, headphones, devices and vision screening. | |
| PPE | “Appropriate PPE” including N-95 masks, gloves, gowns, and other equipment as required for specific jobs | Full PPE for nurses and audiologists. | “Appropriate PPE” including N-95 masks, gloves, gowns, and other equipment as required for specific jobs | Tentative agreement. “Appropriate PPE” including N-95 masks, gloves, gowns, and other equipment as required for specific jobs | Tentative agreement. “Appropriate PPE” including N-95 masks, gloves, gowns, and other equipment as required for specific jobs | |
| Safety Committee | Building- and district-level safety committees empowered to enforce health and safety protocols, including ordering a school return to full remote for serious or repeated violations. | No plan. | Building- and district-level safety committees empowered to enforce health and safety protocols. Violations must be remedied as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours. | Tentative agreement. Building- and district-level safety committees empowered to enforce health and safety protocols. Violations must be remedied as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours. | Tentative agreement. Building- and district-level safety committees empowered to enforce health and safety protocols. Violations must be remedied as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours. | |
| Provide the support services that our students/ parents need in neighborhoods | Additional Supports for STLS students during the pandemic. Hire 100 new counselors and social workers for trauma support. | No plan. | Nothing to increase support to CPS students and families facing greatest needs during the pandemic. | Nothing to increase support to CPS students and families facing greatest needs during the pandemic. | Additional Supports for STLS students during the pandemic. Hire 100 new counselors and social workers for trauma support. | CPS and CTU shall collaborate through the quarterly STLS services review under Article 46-1.4 of the CBA to provide additional support to students in transitional living situations, which shall include, but not be limited to, coordination of social services, additional remote learning support (devices, broadband), and nutrition assistance. |
| Sustainable Community Schools | Release $2M in unused SCS funds from 19-20 to SCS schools for COVID relieve and mutual aid. | No plan. | No plan to release $2m that should have supported these schools. | No plan to release $2m that should have supported these schools. | Release $2M in unused SCS funds from 19-20 to SCS schools for COVID relieve and mutual aid. | Unaddressed. |
| Specials | Place limitations on number of cohorts for specials | No plan to address increased risk for these educators. | No plan. | No plan. | Place limitations on number of cohorts for specials | Specials teachers’ limitations on cohorts shall not exceed the limitations established under the previously-published CPS Principals’ Guidance. |
| Simultaneous Instruction | Reject simultaneous instruction | Simultaneous, but no PD or training on how. | No plan. | No plan. | Reject simultaneous instruction | Unaddressed. |
| Rent abatement | CPS should support the call for rent abatement | CPS declines to support. | No plan. | No plan. | CPS should support the call for rent abatement | Unaddressed. |
| Hold Pre-K and Cluster staff, clerks; and tech-cos harmless | Make whole all Pre-K and cluster staff, clerks, and tech-cos who exercised right to work remotely against whom CPS took adverse action | No plan. | No plan. | No plan. | Make whole all Pre-K and cluster staff, clerks, and tech-cos who exercised right to work remotely against whom CPS took adverse action | Separate Side Letter to rescind discipline for AWOL cases. Withheld pay and benefits, and discipline concerning parent communication cases, to be handled through resolution of pending litigation. |
