CHICAGO (Dec. 9, 2015) – The strike authorization vote for the Chicago Teachers Union begins today. The union must have the approval of more than 75 percent of teachers to go on strike. If teachers vote to strike, they would not be able to walk out of the classroom for at least a few weeks.

Experts with the Illinois Policy Institute are available for interviews on the possibility of another Chicago Teachers Union strike. To book interviews, call: 312-607-4977

Illinois Policy Institute CEO, John Tillman, issued the following statement on the possibility of a CTU strike:

“When the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike in 2012 demanding bigger paychecks and weaker accountability standards, Chicago schools were struggling financially and struggling to adequately educate students. Today, Chicago schools have a deeper budget hole and student achievement has barely moved, yet the teachers union is demanding even fewer accountability standards and unaffordable pay raises. It’s clear the CTU wants a system that benefits the union – not students.

“Independent rankings of teacher pay show that Chicago teachers have the highest compensation of teachers in the 10 largest districts in the country. A close read of the current teachers contract shows that various pay increases can mean annual raises as high as 10 percent for Chicago teachers, regardless of their performance. Instead of demanding unaffordable pay increases for all teachers – no matter how well they educate students –  the CTU should be fighting to keep and recruit the best teachers to give students the best education possible.

“Parents, students and taxpayers deserve better than a school system that consistently fails to educate students who are hungry to learn. It is time for the Chicago Teachers Union to be a partner with the city and with taxpayers, not a constant adversary demanding more at any cost.”

***Spokespeople from the Illinois Policy Institute are available for in-person, phone or Skype interviews on the CTU strike vote and contract negotiations. The Illinois Policy Institute has been following Chicago’s education funding system since the first teacher strike in 2012 and is available to comment on Chicago budget issues, teacher pay and benefit data and education funding in Chicago and Illinois.