Contract Secrets the CTU

President is Not Telling You

The 4% contractual raises for CTU Members are looking

more and more likely to be evaporating in June - right after

the May CTU officer elections.* 

 

CEO Ron Huberman has announced massive state funding

shortfalls for Chicago Public Schools and Marilyn Stewart

followed up by stating “…..we will not agree to ANY

proposal that destroys our contract.  Nor will we tolerate

the implied threats made by Mr. Huberman that he may

have to cut programs or lay off members”.  Stewart is

either unaware of, or purposely hiding contract articles

that give CPS the right to make these changes without

input from the CTU.

The following contract escape clause article has been used

in the past under the Silver Bullet contract of past President

Jacqueline Vaughn.

 ARTICLE 47-2.2 (pay raises) clearly states:

“Any adjustments to the increase of four percent for the

Fiscal Years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 to Appendix A of

this Agreements are contingent upon a reasonable expectation

by the Board of its ability to fund the increases for Fiscal

Years 2009, 20010, 2011 and 2012. Therefore, any adjustments

to the scheduled increases (for those years) shall not be effective until and unless the Board adopts a Resolution no later than

fifteen calendar days prior to the beginning of each Fiscal

Year that it finds there is a reasonable expectation that it will

be able to fund such increases for that Fiscal Year.”

 

ARTICLE 28-1, VII. Procedure for Modifying Class Size Policy:

“Prior to Board Adoption of any amendments to this policy

altering the class size provisions contained herein, notice

and an opportunity to meet and confer regarding alterations

will be provided to the Chicago Teachers Union at least 45

days prior to the implementation.”

Members should not be kept in the dark about what may

take place, but under the pressure of her impending

re-election campaign Stewart is holding back and trying

to talk tough.  She is not being forthright about the rights

of the Board under these circumstances.  What she should be

doing is taking the opportunity to meet with the Board to

minimize the damage.  By not doing so she will have no

input into what is about to happen to the contract of

27,000 active CTU members. 

 

*Stewart is claiming credit for negotiating those raises,

but in reality she has eliminated all CTU administrators

who were actually responsible for negotiating those raises. 

 

Letter from Linda Porter on Solidarity Read more

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