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Chicago's teachers already make more money than teachers in any other major city. But they're unhappy about it... so they're going on strike.
Recently the city of Chicago made an offer to its Teachers' Unions to increase their pay 16%.
It was rejected... because the package wasn't enough. So they're going on strike.
Chicago teachers pay only 3% of the cost of their medical benefits package. The City pays the rest. But the Teachers' Union says they won't pay any more... so they're going on strike.
The smartest parents in Chicago right now are those whose kids attend charter schools, private schools, or parochial schools. Those institutions don’t employ Chicago’s unionized public-school teachers, who went out on strike this morning for the first time in 25 years.
The coverage of the strike has obscured some basic facts. The money has continued to pour into Chicago’s failing public schools in recent years. Chicago teachers have the highest average salary of any city at $76,000 a year before benefits. The average family in the city only earns $47,000 a year. Yet the teachers rejected a 16 percent salary increase over four years at a time when most families are not getting any raises or are looking for work.
The city is being bled dry by the exorbitant benefits packages negotiated by previous elected officials.
(snip)
(Full text of the article can be read at the above URL)
Let's see. Murder capitol of the U.S. Out of control public union. Yeah, that's Chicago values Rahm. Rahm? Oh, Rahm? Oh, I forgot. At the moment, you are off with your Chicago values to raise money for another Chicago values politician.
Martina Watts, 38, was one of the parents dropping her kids off at Hefferan Elementary in Garfield Park as teachers marched up and down chanting, “What’s disgusting? Union busting!â€
Watts said the strike had messed her day up and forced her to stay away from her temporary job as a machinist so that she could pick up her daughter, Trinity, and son, Jayvon, when the school closes early at 12:30 p.m.
“I might be losing my job over this,†she said. “As long as they’re on strike, I can’t work either. I’m not getting paid, either.â€
Still, Watts blamed the mayor, not the teachers.
“The teachers are standing up for what they believe in, and I have to respect that,†she said. “I don’t want my children to be taught in classes that are too big or by teachers who aren’t being paid enough.â€
Watts said she was going home to get changed, then “I’m coming back to join the teachers on the picket line to show my support,†she said.
I am guessing this hatred towards the teachers on this thread is a bit misguided.
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Monique Parker, walking near 67th and Marquette with her 12-year-old and 4-year-old in tow, also sided with the union.
“It’s going to be hard on us,†Parker said, “but you know, we haven’t had a strike since I was in school, so I blame the school district. They should have given the teachers what they needed.â€
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At Mt. Greenwood Elementary, the Ohse family — including Keira, 6, Katie, 4, and Connor, 1 — arrived wearing red T-shirts in support of the striking teachers.
“We have two kids here at Mt. Greenwood,†said Barb Ohse, standing with her husband, Rory, “and we’re both union with the fire department and we’re firm believers in the rights of the students and teachers. It’s all about the good working conditions and being compensated for the hard work you do.â€
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Added Logan Means, a 17-year-old senior from Lakeview who attends Whitney Young but showed up to Lane Monday: “This isn’t cool. CPS should have been more responsible and respected their employees.â€
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Although union officials say more topics are still being debated, the mayor said Sunday the two remaining stumbling blocks involve re-hiring laid off teachers from schools that get shut down or shaken up and a new teacher evaluation process that the union says puts far too much weight on student test scores.
It makes sense to want to keep good teachers even if the school they teach at is closed down, also testing alone is not a great way to evaluate a student's growth.
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Progress had been made over the weekend regarding teacher pay, but not enough on teacher evaluations, job security or classroom conditions to entice union members to sign a contract, Lewis said.
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The union also has pushed for improved working conditions, such as smaller class sizes, more libraries, air-conditioned schools, and more social workers and counselors to address the increasing needs of students surrounded by violence — all big-ticket items.
jt, did you read your own links or did you just read the headlines. If you like I can highlight them later for you when I have more time, this is all from the first link.
Well we'll have to see how the Dem powers in charge deal with these union demands and strike.
The Dems are pro unions yet when it came to actions it ended up being a "no go". How ironic since the Dems are so pro union that all demands should be met.
If the Dems held to their principles then there should be no strike and union demands should have been met with no questions asked because the Dems all say the unions best represent the workers.
It seems this is all great on paper until it hits their backyard and they have to deal with reality.
Let's see. Murder capitol of the U.S. Out of control public union. Yeah, that's Chicago values Rahm. Rahm? Oh, Rahm? Oh, I forgot. At the moment, you are off with your Chicago values to raise money for another Chicago values politician.
You're kidding about Rahm, aren't you?
Rahm's three children go to an elite private school in Chicago, called the Laboratory School. It's a K-12 school that includes a Nursery School, with tuition charges topping $25,000/year. It's run in conjunction with the Univ. of Chicago.
The Lab School's teacher's aren't in the Teachers' Union. And they aren't on strike.
You didn't expect Rahm to send his kids to the same school he requires everyone else's kids to go to, did you?
Well we'll have to see how the Dem powers in charge deal with these union demands and strike.
The Dems are pro unions yet when it came to actions it ended up being a "no go". How ironic since the Dems are so pro union that all demands should be met.
If the Dems held to their principles then there should be no strike and union demands should have been met with no questions asked because the Dems all say the unions best represent the workers.
It seems this is all great on paper until it hits their backyard and they have to deal with reality.
why do the chicago dems hate teachers and education?
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,330 posts, read 54,419,437 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan
Well we'll have to see how the Dem powers in charge deal with these union demands and strike.
The Dems are pro unions yet when it came to actions it ended up being a "no go". How ironic since the Dems are so pro union that all demands should be met.
No, the people that sign the other side of union contracts should mhave enough management skill to NOT sign contracts they KNOW can't be sustained. It takes at least TWO parties to make a contract, they ALL share in the consequences.
No, the people that sign the other side of union contracts should mhave enough management skill to NOT sign contracts they KNOW can't be sustained. It takes at least TWO parties to make a contract, they ALL share in the consequences.
dont forget the children when you bring up "consequences"
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Chicago bled dry by striking Teachers' Unions
