By Richard Berg | June 4, 2021 | ACTS, News
File under: Aspira, ChiArts: Chicago High School for the Arts, CTPF: Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund, EPIC Academy charter school, Urban Prep, Youth Connections Leadership Academy
Members at Urban Prep voted unanimously to strike unless management comes to the table with a more reasonable offer. CTU pressure pushed ASPIRA to retract non-renewal notices for Union members. Epic Academy terminated four of the most active CTU members on the bargaining team, prompting members to prepare to strike. Youth Connections Leadership Academy has reversed course on closing the school. CTU pushed the General Assembly to close a loophole that allowed ChiArts and other contract schools to skip contributions to the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund.
By Richard Berg | March 19, 2021 | ACTS
File under: Acero, Aspira, CICS: Chicago International Charter Schools
CTU has settled a grievance over class size violations at ASPRIA resulting in $61,000 in awards for members. We are in preliminary discussions with CICS and Epic over reopening in the fall. And we are negotiating a fourth quarter reopening plan with Acero focusing on the importance of equity as well as safety.
By Richard Berg, Organizer | February 26, 2021 | ACTS
File under: Aspira, Instituto Justice Leadership Academy, Latino Youth High School, Namaste, Passages Charter School
Asian Human Services, the owner of Passages Charter School, has abruptly broken off negotiations but members remain united. Aspira members have reached a tentative agreement over the move of ASPIRA Early College High School into the ASPIRA Haugan Middle School building. CTU members at Instituto Justice Leadership Academy are raising objections about the school’s disturbing lack of cleanliness. Educators at Latino Youth High School continue to stand strong in their 28th week of refusing the boss’ return to in-person work order. And we are close to a tentative reopening agreement with Namaste.
By Richard Berg, Organizer | December 4, 2020 | ACTS
File under: Aspira, Chris Baehrend, CICS: Chicago International Charter Schools, Latino Youth High School
Good news for CTU members at CICS Civitas who, just before Thanksgiving, received their proper raise and retroactive pay stemming from our strike. Not so good news at Latino Youth, where management has brought on the same big anti-union law firm CPS used to stonewall district negotiations. CTU-ACTS Chair Chris Baehrend authored a chapter about our historic charter strikes in the new book, Strike for the Common Good.
By Richard Berg, Organizer | November 20, 2020 | ACTS
File under: Aspira, CICS: Chicago International Charter Schools, CTU-ACTS, EPIC Academy charter school
The CTU New Organizing Committee met with charter school educators interested in unionizing. CTU members at Aspira are strategizing how to deal with colocation efforts. Acero Sped and ELL educators participated in a Know Your Rights training and are beginning to reach out to parents. Negotiations on our first contract with Epic are expected to begin after Thanksgiving
