We received numerous reports about unclean schools and facilities as we prepared for the start to the year, but there is some good news to share regarding a school cleanliness arbitration victory at Simeon High School.
An independent arbitrator found that school buildings are unsafe and ordered that clerks and other staff should be allowed to work remotely at least four days a week. But the mayor decided she’s above the law and refused to abide by that ruling.
In a 38-page final order, the independent arbitrator ruled that CPS clerks and other staff cannot be forced to work in unsafe buildings. We will be holding an emergency meeting with school clerks, technology coordinators and other rank-and-file members impacted by the arbitration opinion very soon.
“Challenging an arbitrator’s binding ruling does not get us where we need to be,” said CTU VP Stacy Davis Gates. “We have a long way to go and the clock is ticking.”
We’ve recently leveraged powerful wins on personal business days in arbitration, and made important progress in strategic bargaining on PSRP summer in-person assignments and securing drivers ed instructors’ second semester pay. Scroll down to learn more! NOTE: We’ve added in a link that was missing under PSRP summer assignments.
We are pleased to report another favorable decision for the CTU in this week’s grievance and arbitration report, which resulted in three big wins.
A strong contract is only as good as its enforcement, and that process is what ensures our safety and security long after a strike.
Despite challenges around personal business days and the difficulty the Union has in combating CPS resistance to these cases, we continue to see arbitration victories for our members. Also, our new contract has yielded some significant improvements in certain aspects of our health insurance coverage.
In the wake of challenges around personal business (PB) days and our efforts in bargaining to consolidate and get Chicago Public Schools to stop fighting these cases, there have been several recent arbitration victories for Chicago Teachers Union members.
