Chicago Teachers Union can strike after March 7

The Chicago Teachers Union entered a 30-day “cooling off” period following its rejection of a neutral fact-finder’s contract recommendations. The 30 days are up. The union can go on strike after March 7.

The Chicago Teachers Union could strike after March 7; and based on the union’s exorbitant demands and history of unrest, Chicago parents best be prepared.

After the union rejected recommendations from a neutral third-party “fact finder” in its negotiations with Chicago Public Schools, it entered a legally required 30-day “cooling off” period before it could go on strike.

That period ends March 7, according to the union’s records. But before going on strike, the union must secure a vote of three-fourths of union members and give a 10-days notice to the district and Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.

While walking out on students has been CTU’s weapon of choice in other recent negotiations, that may backfire if attempted this time.

In just the past 13 years, CTU has walked out on students five times:

• In 2012, a strike during contract negotiations kept kids out of classes for seven days.
• On April 1, 2016, the union conducted an illegal one-day strike in response to alleged “union-busting” efforts of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, Democratic Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS CEO Forrest Claypool.
• In 2019, a strike during contract negotiations closed schools for 11 days.
• In January 2021, classes were canceled when CTU refused to return to school for in-person learning following COVID-19 closures.
• In January 2022, CTU walked out on school children for five days. Parents were notified of the walkout after 11 p.m. on a school night, leaving them just hours to scramble for a back-up plan after the union decided not to show up for Chicago’s children.

But the union is now hugely unpopular with Chicagoans. Polling shows 60% of Chicago voters have an unfavorable view of the union and more than half disapprove of the union’s president, Stacy Davis Gates. Of the 798 registered Chicago voters polled, only 29% approved of CTU, down from 44% in February 2023.

The parental and community support CTU enjoyed in past strikes isn’t likely this time around. That’s something union leaders should consider before walking out on the district’s 325,000 students.