The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) voted to challenge the plans to reopen the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for teachers and staff due to concerns about the coronavirus, the union announced on Sunday.
The teachers’ union in the country’s third largest school district has decided to allow all educators to conduct their work remotely from Monday, the day when the kindergarten staff through eighth grade should return in person.
CTU reported that 86 percent of its 25,000 members participated in electronic voting on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Seventy-one percent of voting members decided to deny the district’s current plan to return to face-to-face learning.
“So what does that mean?” a read CTU version. “This means that the vast majority of you have chosen security. The CPS did everything possible to divide us, instilling fear through threats of retaliation, but you still chose unity, solidarity and collective action as one. “
O Chicago Sun-Times labeled the vote “exceptionally closed for CTU labor claims” noting that 94 percent of voting members in 2019 decided to go on strike.
Chicago district officials sent a letter to families on Sunday in response to the vote, saying that the teachers’ return date will be postponed until Wednesday to allow more time for negotiations and to avoid “the risk of disruption to student learning. ”. They noted that they hoped to reach an agreement with the union “as soon as possible” and that the students’ return date on February 1 remains in effect.
“We now we agree much more than we disagree, but our discussions continue, and more time is needed to reach a resolution ”, said the letter obtained by The Hill.
The teachers’ union and the CPS has been fighting about the district’s plan to require most teachers and staff to work in person for weeks. According to the plan, employees and teachers were due to return on Monday, with elementary and high school students having the option of face-to-face learning from February 1st.
CPS previously instructed most of its pre-kindergarten and special education team are expected to return to schools earlier this month, with students returning on January 11. But the district reported that 49 percent of those who said they would return to the January 11 start date, amounting to 19 percent of the student population.
In their letter, officials said the pre-K team and special education are expected to continue to perform in person for the job, despite the delay for other teams. The district has already blocked remote work and stopped paying a few dozen of those teachers who previously did not return to face-to-face work.
CTU said their vote does not qualify as a strike, as teachers have pledged to continue remote work, although the district is not allowing it. The union said it would go on strike if no deal was reached by Wednesday and the CPS prevented elementary and high school teachers from working at home.
District authorities and city health commissioner Allison Arwady expressed confidence in the CPS reopening plan, and the Sun-Times reported that the district spent $ 44 million on disinfectants, PPE, air purifiers and other measures to prevent spread. .
But the teachers’ union still seeks answers to several questions, including whether employees who have a family member with certain medical conditions can be allowed to work from home and whether there will be an increase in exams for staff and students.