The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Chicago Union President Karen Lewis has said that “No union members will be inside schools Monday,” after contract negotiations failed to reach a deal that would prevent a labor strike.
Lewis said those union teachers will on the picket line.
As Becky Vevea reported for Weekend Edition Sunday, 25,000 teachers are planning to walk off the job over issues that include benefits and job security.
[Mayor] Rahm Emanuel is pushing for big changes: a longer school day and year, a new system for evaluating teachers and a whole new way to pay teachers.
…
[Teachers] want smaller class sizes, more art and music, and job protection when the district shuts down low-performing schools and opens privately run charter schools, which are not typically unionized.
According to the Associated Press, Lewis thought talks might resume Monday but a time had not yet been set, and added that not enough progress had been made to avoid a strike.
This will be the first time in 25 years members of the Chicago Teachers Union have gone on strike.
Article source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/09/09/160855857/no-deal-chicago-teachers-to-strike-after-contract-talks-fail?ft=1&f=1001