Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said he thinks significant progress has been made in contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union — and he “can’t even imagine a need for a strike” despite the two sides appearing dug in on their positions.
Speaking at Thursday’s monthly Board of Education meeting, Martinez touted tentative agreements for lower class sizes in the youngest grades, more planning time for special education teachers and funding for more “sustainable community schools.”
However, many of those deals were reached weeks or months ago. The teachers union said there have been no new agreements since Dec. 24.
There are still quite a few issues — financial and not — that remain unresolved. And neither CPS nor the CTU appear ready to make significant movement as a neutral arbitrator steps in to conduct a fact-finding report on their disputes.
Martinez said he understands the role of CTU is to “advocate for their members and to ask for as much as they can,” but CPS officials’ responsibility is to “give as much as we can while making sure the investments we commit are sustainable and affordable.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done, and I’m proud of the fact that we’re closer to an agreement now than at any point in previous negotiations,” he said. “In 2016, negotiations took 18 months. In 2019, it was 14 months. We’re just concluding nine months of negotiations, and we’re very close to where we need to be.
“I can’t even imagine a need for a strike. We’re just in such a different place even as I look at the last two contracts. Any work stoppage would only disrupt our children’s learning, and given how close together the sides are, it wouldn’t make any sense to do something so drastic.”
Every teachers strike in recent memory has been preceded by the mayor or CPS CEO saying the two sides are close to a deal and that a strike isn’t necessary.
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates has been incredulous at Martinez’s estimate that the two sides are close to a deal. She challenged him to make that come to fruition this week.
“Come to bargaining tomorrow, CEO Martinez,” Davis Gates said at the school board meeting. “‘We are close,’ you said. I take you up on being close. And let’s land it. Tomorrow we start at 10 a.m. at your lawyer’s office, and let’s land this plane.”
The CTU warned last week that the arbitrator who will issue recommendations in the fact-finding process is limited by law in what he can consider. Davis Gates claimed the law is “stacked against” the union, with fact-finding becoming a perfunctory step. She said the CTU would likely reject the arbitrator’s findings, paving the way for a potential strike vote.
The arbitrator’s report is expected in early February. CPS and CTU have 15 days to decide whether to reject or accept the findings. Though the union must wait 30 days to actually strike, it can take a strike vote any time after rejecting the findings.
March is the soonest any potential strike could happen.