The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has voted to challenge the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) reopening plans for teachers and staff due to concerns about the coronavirus, union announced on Sunday.
The teachers’ union for the country’s third largest school district has decided to allow all educators to work remotely from Monday, the day on which the nursery school is expected to return in person through the eighth grade.
The CTU reported that 86 percent of its 25,000 members participated in the electronic voting on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Seventy-one percent of eligible members decided to deny the district’s current plan to return to personal apprentices.
“What does that mean then?” Read a CTU release. ‘That means the vast majority of you have chosen safety. CPS did everything possible to divide us by inciting fear through threats of retaliation, but you still chose unity, solidarity and acted together as one. ”
The Chicago Sun-Times described the vote as “extraordinarily close to CTU labor actions” and pointed out that in 2019, 94 percent of eligible members decided to strike.
Chicago District officials sent a letter to families Sunday in response to the vote, saying the deadline for teachers to be delayed until Wednesday to allow more time for negotiations and to avoid a disruption to students’ risks. . ‘They noted that they hope to reach an agreement with the union as soon as possible and that the return date for students on 1 February still applies.
‘We now agree on much more than we disagree, but our discussions continue, and extra time is needed to reach a decision, ‘reads the letter obtained by The Hill.
The teachers’ union and CPS had fat about the district’s plan that most teachers and staff should work in person for weeks. According to the plan, staff and teachers had to return on Monday, with the K-8 students having the option to learn in person from 1 February.
CPS previously instructed most of the pre-kindergarten and special education staff returned to schools earlier this month, with students returning on January 11th. But the district reported that 49 percent of those who said they would return by the January 11 start date, that equates to 19 percent of the student populations.
In their letter, officials said staff from the pre- and special education staff are expected to report in person to work, despite the delay of other staff. The district has already blocked remote work and paid a few dozen of these teachers who previously did not return to personal work.
The CTU said its vote does not qualify as a strike as teachers are committed to working remotely, although the district does not allow it. The union said it would strike if no agreement was reached by Wednesday and CPS prevented K-8 teachers from working at home.
District officials and City Health Commissioner Allison Arwady expressed confidence in the CPS reopening plan, and the Sun-Times reported that the district spent $ 44 million on disinfectants, PBT, air purifiers and other measures to prevent proliferation.
But the teachers’ union is still seeking answers to several questions, including whether staff who have a domestic member with certain medical conditions can be allowed to work from home and whether there will be an increase in testing for staff and students.