Chicago teachers authorize strike to leverage pay raise

Chicago Teachers Union vote to okay strike as bargaining tool for pay increase. Screen shot via CTU website.

The ballots have been counted. The third largest school district in the country, Chicago Public Schools, has voted “yes” to authorizing a strike if the teacher’s union and the city can’t come to a consensus over benefits and pay.

Stemming from budget cuts last year, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel took back a promised 4% pay increase for teachers and moved to increase the length of school days. Most Chicago teachers argue that the proposed 20% classroom time should net them a 20% pay raise, plus the 4% that was taken from them and another 5% on top of that for 2012s merit increase. CPS (Chicago Public Schools) argues that they have given teachers a guaranteed 2% increase, but teachers are saying that’s not enough.

The increased school day was proposed by Mayor Rahm Emmanuel which he argues would keep Chicago in step with the rest of the county. CPS claims that Chicago students spend 22% less time in the classroom than the average student throughout the country. This is an argument CPS has taken to their website, in a battle for the support of CPS parents.

Chicago Teacher’s Union President Karen Lewis gave a press conference this morning, asking CPS to stop and listen to the voices of the labor forces that help mold the future of students. She insisted the potential strike and pay raise request is made in the exclusive interest of students. The teacher’s union also wants to limit class size for teachers, something that CPS says they simply cannot afford. One reporter asked Ms. Lewis to comment on the skeptics who claim that the potential strike is in interest of adults and not students, questioning the “What about the children?” mantra and whose interest the potential strike would really be in. Lewis responded something to the effect,  ‘You can’t help students unless you help those who teach them first’.

(Now, isn’t that the same argument the banking industry make about their top tier executives? I’m just sayin’.)

CPS is really pretty ticked about the whole thing. They wanted the teacher’s union to wait until an independent group gave their recommendations in July for a compromise between teachers and CPS. CPS says they are 2 billion dollars in the red.

So, the battle lines are drawn.

If Chicago teacher’s strike, it will be the first time in 25 years. Teachers do not get paid while on strike.

So, what do you think? Should Chicago teachers get an almost 30% increase?

According to the Chicago Sun Times, the average school teacher makes $71,000 a year. If the teacher’s union gets the raise they’re asking for, the average Chicago school teacher will make over $90,000 a year. (Geez, where’s the blogger’s union? I want me a union, GD!)