Public school Teachers Strike in Chicago Strike for the First Time in 25 Years, What About the Children, 400K Students Affected?

What ever happened to Barack Obama’s shared sacrifice? I guess the public schools teacher union did not get that memo in Chicago.

For the first time in 25 years the Chicago Teachers Union, CTU, has gone out on strike in the city of Chicago affecting 675 public schools and 400,000 students. However, the city’s 118 charter schools are not affected by a strike. When Democrats attack Democrats. This should be interesting to see how Democrat Mayor an former Obama Cabinet member Rahm Emanuel deals with this issue.

Rahm says cut back, we say fight back,” picketers chanted this morning outside Chicago Public Schools headquarters.

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis announced late Sunday night that weekend talks had failed to resolve all the union’s issues.  “We have failed to reach an agreement that will prevent a labor strike,” she said. “No CTU members will be inside of our schools Monday.”

Teachers want a 16% pay raise across the board over the next 4 years. Wow, I bet a lot of Americans would like this type of guarantee whether they did their job or not. There is just one problem, they are already operating at a $1 billion deficit.

The school board’s last offer included a three percent raise the first year and two percent raises the next three years — a slight increase from an earlier offer of two percent raises in each of the next four years.

The package, which would cost $400 million, keeps increases for experience and credentials with some modifications.

Vitale said the contract amounted to a 16 percent raise over four years for the average teacher when factoring other increases. And the raises could not be rescinded for lack of funds — which is what happened this past school year, angering teachers and helping to set the stage for Monday’s strike.

“This is not a small commitment we’re making at a time when your fiscal situation is really challenged,” Vitale said. A $1 billion deficit awaits the system at the end of this school year, officials have estimated. And the district drained its reserve funds to plug this year’s budget.