Chicago teachers bargaining team vote in favor of contract deal

BREAKING: The Chicago Teachers Union says its bargaining team and executive board have reached a tentative agreement with Chicago Public Schools, voting in favor of CPS’ proposed settlement. The deal will now go to the union’s house of delegates and union members for final approval.

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CHICAGO — Monday, a team of Chicago teachers will review a proposed contract deal, and decide whether it should go through the union’s approval process.

Chicago Public Schools and the union both reported Friday, they’ve reached a tentative agreement. It includes a four-percent cost-of-living increase in each of four years. And there’s money to hire more librarians and teaching assistants.

If the bargaining team accepts the deal, it’ll send it to the union’s house of delegates. From there, it would go to the union’s 30,000 members for a vote.

The bargaining team is made up of over 60 members.

Monday morning Chicago Teachers Union issued a statement that said, “There’s been enormous progress at the bargaining table and our members will be looking for how the proposed agreement improves the school day for Chicago’s students, addresses the undervaluing of educators, especially veteran educators, and if negotiations achieved enough to make Chicago Public Schools more of what every parent wants for their kids in an education system.”

Talks have taken nearly a year. The negotiations began with more than 700 union proposals and the two sides have spent the past week on a few remaining sticking points, including teacher evaluations, elementary school teacher preparation time and veteran teacher pay.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told WGN-TV that the veteran teacher pay system has been overhauled in the potential deal.

Other points of focus are the Green Schools Initiative and Kindergarten class sizes.

For months, the union and CPS sparred over teacher planning time and performance evaluations. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose campaign was bankrolled by CTU, pressured CEO Pedro Martinez to take out a loan to cover increasing district costs. But Martinez refused. 

“CTU and the leadership there were asking for a contract that was just unaffordable, and the reason why is because they have the mayor, and they figured the mayor would be able to push this contract through,” said Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th Ward).

Despite relief that a deal is almost done, Villegas took aim at the union.

“CTU spent a ton of money electing Brandon Johnson, millions of dollars, and the amount of money that was spent and all the chaos that was created ultimately tying to blame the CEO for the lack of movement on a contract, the Board quitting and a new Board coming in and the collusion that was taking place, they ended up with the same deal that was on the table,” Villegas said.

The final cost of the contract has not been revealed, but city leaders expect CPS will need another assist from TIF funds, and the district will likely need to raise property taxes.