Please Note: In my report from Tuesday’s Retiree Functional Group meeting a mentioned that Pres. Davis Gates said our membership is nearing 36,000. This is incorrect and I must have gotten some things mixed up. CTU membership is growing but not that much.
The pre-meeting Question and Answer began at 4:24 p.m...
Pre-meeting Q. and A.
-A delegate asked as how Resident Teachers, mostly bi-lingual and mostly former PSRPs in a special program, can become CTU members. Right now they are paying 9% of their salary into the pension fund while regular active teachers are paying 2% with the CPS making up the difference. Their health care also isn’t as good as other teachers. Vice president Potter said they are a new category of employees and the CTU is working with CPS to allow them to join the Union. It is hoped that new procedures for them will be implemented in the next month or so.
-Retiree delegate Lou Pyster asked that CTU audits be made available for the fiscal years 2019 through 2022. He said there is an expected dues increase coming and the membership should be able to see exactly how our dues are spent. He was told the 2019 audit is on the CTU website and the others, which have been held up in some legal arguments, should be posted later this fall.
-Another delegate asked what can be done to help students whose IEPs require an additional SECA worker. CTU staffer Deidre Foster said keep a written record of requests for more personnel and if that doesn’t work quickly the CTU will take it directly to the CPS leadership in their monthly meetings.
-Dr. Coleman (John Marshall High) said that some more fortunate schools are able to conduct successful outside fundraising that enables them to pay for equipment and programs that other schools cannot get. What can be done to try to get more equitable funding for every school. Pres. Davis Gates suggested he join the CTU High School Committee and bring this issue up there. This is a contract year and the Union needs input about issues like this.
-A delegate said that a new teacher to a regular CPS school had worked for 6 years at a charter and was being denied her proper pay. The CTU said there is a similar case right now in arbitration and they are waiting the arbitrator’s decision.
-The Stevenson School delegate in Network 10 said that Network administrators are trying to “pop in” to every class at least 80% of the week. Is this harassment or is it the norm? She was told this is NOT the norm and if it cannot be resolved through the PPC then the Union will step in to help.
The regular meeting convened at 4:51 p.m..
I. Officers/Administrative Reports A. Recording Secretary - Christel Williams – Christel reminded delegates that they can submit questions on any topic during the meeting by going to: hod.ctulocal1.org. This process started with the Zoom meetings during the pandemic and the Union decided to keep doing it.
B. Financial report – Kurt Hilgendorf – There was not much to report. A graphic Kurt posted indicated that we are heavily in debt but he reminded the assembly that this is the norm as we have not received any dues money over the summer and based on previous years the pattern is good for us right now.
C. Financial Secretary – Maris Moreno – CTU membership has grown and stands at 28,909 and of that, 1,551 are retiree members.
Maria also said the CPS agreed to a new policy for Cadre and day-to-day teachers. Previously, they would get an increase after they worked 100 days that would be reflected in the their next pay period. Now the increase will take immediately, which is important to these lower paid teachers.
There are 6 vacancies on the CTU Executive Board for Elementary Functional Vice President. Maria took nominations from the floor and after the eligibility of the nominees is conformed, and election will take place by elementary delegates at the next House meeting. If no candidates receive at least 50% of the vote a run-off election will take place in December.
D. Grievance – Mike Smith – The CTU presented the results of a survey of the membership on the CPS’s Skyline curriculum that started out as a resource for teachers, but now is being mandated unevenly across the System. Apparently there are a few positive elements in the curriculum, but for the most part the delegates in the audience “booed” it.
In a major win the CTU was able to get the money for class size remediation increased by $9 million to $44 million dollars.
A day-to-day sub that worked full time in positions from 2016-2019 was awarded $29,000 for earned back pay.
Another teacher at Marshall who worked six classes was also made whole for having been shorted on pay.
A NBCT teacher did not receive her proper stipend due to a clerical error. That has been corrected.
The recent announcement that CPS employees can get 12 weeks paid parental leave has been clarified. The CPS maintained that two parents in one family would be eligible for 6 weeks paid leave each. The CTU fought that and CPS agreed that it would be for 12 weeks each parent.
The delegates were reminded of the deadlines for appealing their evaluations under the CPS’s REACH program. They were also reminded of the time frame for transfer windows this year. PSRPs have no transfer window. They can request transfers at any time.
E. Charter Division –Jen Conant– The CTU represents 32 schools in 12 charter networks. Recently at ChiART, they got parental leave extended from 2 to 7 weeks and smaller caseloads (18) for Special Ed teachers. They will be paid $500 extra if they have to take on extra caseloads to work on IEPs and all will be guaranteed 15 minutes of prep time for every hour of work they due. Part time art teachers will be restored.
At IJLA and IHSCA all of the special ed teachers have left due to working conditions so we are negotiating about that and various other issues at other charter schools.
F. Organizing report –Jim Cavallero– The CPS is looking for a new head for their Special Ed department after the departure of a much-disliked head. CPS is conducting community input sessions and the CTU has been working with parents at these sessions.
A State law requires a ten-year plan for school structures. The last plan, in 2013, resulted in 50 schools being closed. The CTU is involved in this and is pressing for Green Schools and new schools. Jim reported that oldest school building still in use is 150 years old. (Two schools I worked at, Senn and Hyde Park, are 112 and 111 years old, respectively).
CTU officers and staff have visited more than 100 schools already this year and Jim feels that members overwhelmingly agree with the CTU’s vision.
G. Political/Legislative –Hilario Dominguez – Hilario said that across the nation public education is under attack citing new laws in Florida and Texas, but Illinois is not immune to this. A current law, Invest in Kids, is supposed to sunset this year. This law benefits the wealthy as it gives them a 75% tax credit when they donate to private and parochial schools. This tax credit cuts into money for public education to the tune of $250 million since 2016. He urged everyone to get involved in making sure this law actually does sunset and not be extended as some supporters are trying to do.
Hilario announced a new partnership between the CTU and Kennedy-King College. A new program will allow students to get their GED at no cost to them.
H. Vice-President – Jackson Potter –Jackson said there are possibly 31,479 CPS employees who may be eligible to join the CTU and we have to work to make sure they join.
Jackson said that this contract campaign will be different from all previous ones as we do not have the automatic opposition from the CPS and the mayor. To that end the CTU is engaging members through numerous committees and committee chairs are being trained in contract negotiations. Also, the membership will be surveyed to get their input on what should be in the next contract.
II. President’s Report –Stacy Davis Gates– Stacy has met with striking UAW workers and she stressed the importance of building union solidarity across the board. She has also been going into schools with Supt. Martinez and that has resulted in positive communication between the CPS and the rank and file.
Stacy said that when Karen Lewis became CTU’s president in 2010 the Union was on life support because the school system was on life support. She maintains that our solidarity has saved the public schools and the upcoming contract can be transformative. She concluded her remarks by saying “I want to win the fight that gives us the City we deserve”.
III. Items for Action
-“Resolution to Protect Public Education from Right Wing Extremism”. This passed unanimously.
-The CTU approved three political endorsements; (CTU member) Tara Stamp for Cook County Commissioner, -1st District, longtime public education and union supported Sen. Lakesia Collins – 5th District Illinois Senate, and CTU organized Graciala Guzman for Illinois Senate – 20th District.
IV. New Business/Questions and Answers
A motion was made to endorse Paula Barajas, Lois Nelson, Mary Sharon Reilly, Jack Silver, and Tammie Vinson for trustees of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund. After some debate it passed with a smattering of “no” votes.
A delegate said the CPS has been dragging its feet on setting a date for an appeal of two grievances. The CTU will push for that.
A delegate reported that a co-worker who just transferred in is in tears daily because her old school is threatening to have her returned. She was asked if there is anything in writing about this and the CTU will step in to protect her.
At Carroll school special ed teachers are being docked if their students are not making progress under the IEPs’. The CTU will take action on this, too.
The meeting adjourned at 7:27 p.m..