CTU President Karen Lewis addressing crowd . File Photo. Photo Credit: Jane Rickard
A meeting was held today by the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates at Lane Tech High School which brings the union and Chicago Public Schools one step closer to a strike. The House of Delegates voted to give union President Karen Lewis the power to give the Board of Education a 10 day notice of a strike by union members. However at this time no strike notice has been given nor has any indication of timing of a strike been made public. President Lewis was quoted on the union website as saying . “Although we have inched one step closer to fulfilling the legal requirements before we can strike, we have made no decision to do so at this time,” she said. “Union leaders will go back to their schools to share the Board’s contract proposals with members and to discuss next steps. But we want our members prepared.”
This week informational picketing has begun at 240 ”track E” or year round schools. Picketing starts as school closes at 2:45 and is informational only as no formal work stoppage or job action is taking place. As of now this is the only visible, definitive union activity in this area. Next Monday school staff at the remaining or track “R” schools will return, one thing for sure, the planning going into this school years start will not just be apple shaped name tags and bulletin boards.
