Mayor Lori Lightfoot is about to face her first major challenge as mayor. WGN News reports that the Chicago Teachers Union, undeterred by an independent fact-finding report, are poised to strike:
CHICAGO — The Chicago Teachers Union took a step closer to going on strike after rejecting an independent fact-finder report on Chicago Public Schools.
At a news conference Monday, Chicago Teachers Unions President Jesse Sharkey formally rejected the report, which became public Monday. Read the full report here.
Among several issues, the union is unhappy that CPS may reduce the number of school librarians. Mayor Lori Lightfoot had campaigned on a promise to have a librarian for each school.
The CTU has already been offered a 16% raise over the next 5 years which they have deemed inadequate. Over the last five years Chicago’s population has declined. Presumably, they want to levy higher taxes on Chicago’s shrinking populace. As a point of comparison my pay is exactly what it was five years ago and my house is probably worth less than it was five years ago.
Will the new mayor repeat Rahm Emanuel’s missteps? I am not sanguine. I strongly suspect she will.
Rhetorical question: Is it too late for you to become a Chicago public school teacher?
This is a really good example of why I’m skeptical when it comes to public employee unions.