Chicago Teachers Union touts 'legendary' contract negotiation gains

[December 27, 2024]  By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Chicago Teachers Union is moving quickly to finalize a new contract with Chicago Public Schools.

CPS and CTU have been without a contract since June 30, when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired.

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates touted progress on what she called “a legendary contract.”

“Right now, I would say we’re at the 15 and we’re ready to get into the end zone,” Gates stated during a Christmas Eve news conference.

A Cook County judge ruled Tuesday that school board members could not participate in contract negotiations unless they were invited by CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. At least three recently appointed members had joined CPS-CTU talks earlier in the week.

Gates said Martinez used the courts to impede progress.

“If that progress stops, the only person that we have to look at is Pedro Martinez. He’s put himself in an awful situation to take the fall for stalled negotiations, negotiations that have never moved this fluidly before,” Gates said.

The school board voted last Friday, 6-0, to fire Martinez, effective next June. The board currently consists of seven members recently appointed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. New board members elected in November are scheduled to be seated on Jan. 15.

This week, Gates touted major gains for CTU members in the latest proposals.

“We have made huge strides in women’s health care, from abortion access to mammogram access, IVF, the number of IVF attempts that they can have,” Gates said.

Gates said the proposed deal provides for equity in sports.

“Girls softball and cheerleading will be treated like boys football and boys basketball. That is a significant improvement. Our young people who participate in sports, they’ll be able to have transportation and that transportation will be paid for,” Gates said.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates speaks to the City Club of Chicago - CityClub-Chicago.org

CTU has previously proposed more solar panels, electric school buses and queer-compliant counselors.

According to the CPS budget for fiscal year 2025, 59% of CPS operating revenues come from local sources, primarily property taxes, personal property replacement taxes and tax-increment financing surplus. Around 25% of CPS operating revenues come from state of Illinois taxpayers, and 16% from federal taxpayers.

The CPS budget for the 2024-25 school year is $9.9 billion.

In an email to CPS families, staff and supporters last week, Martinez and CPS Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova said CTU called for over 5,000 new employees to be hired gradually over four years, at a total cost of $1.3 billion. CPS responded with a proposal to prioritize the protection of the more than 7,000 school-based staff that have joined the system since 2019, including thousands of additional teachers and paraprofessionals, and hundreds of additional nurses, social workers, counselors, case managers and restorative justice coordinators.

Martinez said CPS maintained its current proposal of 4% raises for CTU members in the first year and 4-5% raises in the next three years, depending on inflation. According to the email, CTU revised its proposed cost-of-living adjustments from 9% every year of the agreement to 6% the first two years and 5% in the final two years.

CPS agreed to increasing stipends for coaches by an average of more than 50%, as well as $10 million to fund sports equipment, uniforms, supplies, athletic trainers and transportation.