Chicago teachers to announce whether they
have votes for strike
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[December 14, 2015]
By Mary Wisniewski
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago public school
teachers could announce on Monday whether they have enough votes to
authorize a strike, preparing for what could be the second walk-out at
the nation's third-largest school system in less than four years.
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Teachers at the financially troubled system voted over three days
last week on whether to allow a strike, if union leaders in contract
negotiations decide a work stoppage is necessary. Under state law,
at least 75 percent of union members must approve a strike.
The Chicago Teachers Union said the total could be announced as
early as Monday, after members and school leaders were notified.
Union President Karen Lewis has cautioned members to save 25 percent
of their pay in anticipation of a long strike next year.
"Chicago's public school educators are united in fighting for the
schools our students deserve and ensuring that a fair contract
recognizes the hard and dedicated work they do in our school
buildings," the union said in a statement.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Dec/14/images/ads/current/LINCOLN_theater_011411.png) The district, which serves about 400,000 students at more than 600
schools, faces a $1.1 billion structural deficit and thousands of
possible teacher layoffs after Christmas. The teachers' union said
that the school system has slashed classrooms "to the gristle" and
is trying to force the union to give back $653 million worth of
benefits.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has blamed state government, which gives Chicago
schools only 15 percent of state education funding, though it
accounts for 20 percent of the state's public school students.
Already facing criticism over alleged misconduct by Chicago police
officers, Emanuel said last week that the teachers' union should
work as hard to come up with a solution as it did to figure out a
strike vote.
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The school system's former chief executive, Barbara Byrd-Bennett,
pleaded guilty in October to a fraud charge related to the awarding
of a no-bid contract to her former employer, infuriating parents and
teachers who had already seen budget cutbacks.
During a "practice vote" in early November, 97 percent of teachers
said they would strike if necessary.
The last strike was in September 2012, the district's first in 25
years.
(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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