This meeting was in person. The pre-meeting Question and Answer began at 4:24 p.m...
Pre-meeting Q. and A.
-A delegate spoke on the unfair situation between high schools and elementary schools in using flex days. She wants changes to be in the next contract negotiations. Pres. Stacy Davis Gates said she had been a high school teacher and was not totally familiar with the differences and referred the delegate to the Union Elementary committee to get more info and input.
-Jim Vail, Hammond School, started by saying the CTU has fought against Tax Increment Financing (TIF). (NOTE: TIFs are areas delineated by the City Council where the amount of real estate tax money from that area that goes to schools, the Parks, and so on are frozen, for usually 23 years. However, property values rise over time and the excess money over the “frozen” amount goes into a fund normally controlled by the Mayor. It is supposed to be used to improve the infrastructure of a blighted area. Also note that about 1/3 of the Loop is in different TIF districts. How much of the Loop is blighted?). Pres. Davis Gates said we don’t fight against TIFs, but against their misuse. Delegate Vail continued and said that Sterling Bay is seeking additional economic help for its Lincoln Yards development. Pres. Davis Gates said he should take this issue up with the Pension Fund as the CTU hasn’t anything to do with Sterling Bay’s request.
-A delegate asked if we are going to get the 12 weeks for family/maternity leave that Lightfoot gave to City employees. A CTU lawyer responded that everyone should keep an eye on their e-mails. Implying that it is coming thanks to Mayor Johnson being elected.
- A first time delegate from Ray School asked what can be done about their principal who is totally ignoring protocols regarding the PPLC. Stacy said a field rep will go to the school to try to get things righted.
-A delegate asked where do students go if a charter school closes? Stacy said that that is up to the parents.
The regular meeting convened at 4:52 p.m..
I. Officers/Administrative Reports A. Recording Secretary - Christel Williams-Hayes – Christel just thanked everyone for the hard work they did this year in the schools and in the Union.
B. Financial Secretary – Maris Moreno – CTU membership is stable and stands at 27, 844 and of that, 1,553 are retiree members.
Maria also mentioned that the three-year terms for delegates will end this coming year and that delegates should start planning on elections in December. They have to go through the proper procedures even if there is no opposition.
C. Grievance – Deidre Foster and CTU lawyer Thad Goodchild presented a long list of wins. Deidre said that since Johnson’s election the CPS, which fought us tooth and nail on EVERYTHING, has changed its tune. She said there has been more settlement of grievances in the last three weeks then in the last five years. Among the more notable ones are:
-A TAT at Foreman High was denied a position as a permanent replacement and received back pay of $90,000 and re-instatement of her proper seniority
-Girl’s flag football head coaches will get $2,000 and assistant coaches will get $1,400 in pay that they were denied. The total amount in this settlement is $148,000
-A school psychologist who was improperly denied a Lane change got it and $17,000 in back pay
-Five coaches were given $20,000 in recognition that paperwork they submitted for work done was done properly in the first place
-A teacher whose spouse was diagnosed with cancer and had to pay $25,000 out of pocket when health insurance was denied was made whole
-A yearbook teacher at Westinghouse High did not get a reduced course load as required by the contract. She did get the reduced course and $45,000 extra pay for the extra class she had over a period of years
-A Reilly School teacher who retired got $175,000 for sick days that had been denied
-The CPS CEO and CPS lawyers will recommend a change in a Board rule that teachers who take a day off for a religious holiday not be required to pay for a sub out of their own salary. The CTU is pushing to also have this rule change applied to PSRPs
-A teacher at Kellman School received $5,000 over missed prep periods and several teachers at Ruggles will get $3,000 for the same reason
-Teachers at Finkl will get $66,000 for having had to work overtime
-The Special Ed workload reduction fund at Simeon will be increased by $4,500 and by $3,000 at Nancy Jefferson
Deidre also reminded delegates that by June 2 all schools should have voted on next years’ daily schedule, flex days, and the 15 minute prep periods in grammar schools.
Deidre also said that the class size committee provision in the contract resulted in 210 new teacher positions and 144 new Teacher Assistant positions.
D. Charter Division –Jen Conant– Negotiations are ongoing in 12 charter networks that have 30 schools. Teachers at the Acero School have authorized a strike vote and since then the pace of negotiations improved a lot. (In fact, they just settled during the meeting, and teachers and assistants gove 5 percent raise!)
E. Organizing report –Rebecca Martinez– Rebecca mentioned that it was ten years ago that Rahm Emanual shut 50 schools at once, claiming that the students would end up better off. She pointed out that WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times have produced a series of articles that prove that the kids are worse off than ever. She said we have now entered an era of collaboration with the CPS, citing the first time ever programs this past Memorial Day weekend at a number of schools and the hope that this will be expanded.
Rebecca said that there are over 10,000 new immigrants and that there is an attempt by mutual aid groups to co-ordinate their efforts to help out.
Lastly, Rebecca mentioned the CTU is hosting a luncheon on June 22 for newly retired teachers and the Union will have floats in the June 10 Puerto Rican Peoples Parade and on June 25 for the Pride Parade. If you would like to join our parade contingents contact Rebecca.
F. Political/Legislative –Hilario Dominguez – Hilario reported on some of our legislative wins in Springfield. Some of them are:
HB 1120 – This bill requires charter schools to be neutral in any organizing action by their faculty and staff.
SB 1646 – This would allow retired PSRPs to sub without losing their pensions. Teachers have had this right for decades.
HB 3570 – This bill would require the State Board of Education to collect data on racial and socio-economic status of school employees. Chicago has done this for years and this bill would extend it statewide.
Additionally, the current State budget increases money for education by $350,000,000. Traditionally the CPS can expect to get about one fourth of that amount.
Hilario concluded by saying that in 2024 voters will be able to elect ten representatives to the Chicago School Board. If you or anyone you know has an interest in being a candidate, the CTU is having a meeting about that at 1:00 p.m. on June 22.
G. New Teacher Development – Tara Stamps. Tara is the administrator for this Union program which gives stipends and reported that over $725,000 has been given to participants – mentors, mentees, new teachers and clinicians. She added the PSRPs are also eligible to be mentees for the program if they hold a Professional Educators License.
H. Financial Report – Kurt Hilgendorf. As of April our expenses are continuing to be below budget and our income is continuing to be over budget leaving us with about $1,000,000 in the black.
Regarding the budget, Kurt said that about 46% of it was for pass throughs to the AFT, IFT, CFL and so on. A few years ago it was 41% of the budget and this 5% difference means we are paying out about $1,500,000 a year more than before.
Kurt said the budget for the coming year has the expectation of $37,085,404 in revenue and $34,056,633 in expenses. Of the difference $2,800,000 will be earmarked for the Union’s Strategic Plan and rest would be a surplus of $228,771. This is a traditionally conservative budget.
The Strategic plan has 6 components. First, $1,000,000 would be for the 2024 School Board Election Fund (10 people to be elected). Second, $300,000 would go into the Union’s Sustainable Green School Campaign. Third, $300,000 would be used for a new organizing campaign. Fourth, $300,000 would be for an education revenue campaign. Fifth, $400,000 would go into the Union’s Hardship Fund, and last, $500,000 would go into the CTU’s sustainability fund.
Every year, and especially this year, the CTU makes contributions to various political candidates. If anyone would like to see where the Union’s Political Action Committee spent the money, one may go to the CTU’s Member portal and access the information there.
I. Vice-President – Jackson Potter –Jackson said announced that there will be a Climate Justice Freedom School for students in June from June 12-23. Thirty students will be in it and they will receive stipends.
To reiterate the effect Mayor Johnson is having on the CPS, Jackson said that the head of the CPS Labor Relations, for the first time ever, attended a PPC meeting at a school and stopped it about 5 minutes after it began. The principal was taken out and told that what she was doing was wrong. That school has had a history of problems with the principal.
II. President’s Report –Stacy Davis Gates– Stacy surprised everyone with an announcement that word just came in that the teachers at the Acero School have reached a tentative contract agreement (see item ID above)! Among other things those teachers will receive raises of 5%, PSRPs will receive raises of 5.5%, there is a new step schedule, the school year was shortened by two days and the school day was shortened by 30 minutes, and there will be 7 weeks of paid family leave.
Stacy also gave special recognition to Romel Ferguson, a CTU staffer who helped set up Mayor Johnson’s inauguration and Kurt Hilgendorf . She also lauded Georgia Waller for her work in giving recognition to guest teachers, plus she gave a thumbs up for four guest teachers – Leticia Salamone, Chester McSwain, Sir Daniel Lee and Melinda Wennbend.
III. Items for Action
Presentation of the proposed 2023-2024 CTU budget.
A number of delegate spoke in favor of approving the budget including Jackie Price Ward, Josh Lerner (Pierce School), Quentin Washington (Sadlowski School), Paula Barajas (CTU Trustee) and Debby Pope (Retired).
Frank McDonald (Washington High) motioned to reduce five of the proposals in the Strategic Plan by $25,000 each and put that all money into the Hardship Fund instead. There was little support for his proposal and I voted against it.
The delegate from Ray School wondered, if there is a surplus, why dues will be going up? (NOTE: the CTU constitution pegs dues to the salary of a teacher on Lane 1, Step 6). Changing this will require a change in the constitution.
There were 10-15 “No” votes on the budget (about 500 delegates in attendance). I voted “Yes” and it passed.
IV. New Business/Questions and Answers
Paula Barajas asked that the Union take a “no confidence” vote on Stephanie Jones. She is in charge of Special Ed in the CPS and there have been revelations of her condoning the illegal use of physical restraints on students. The vote was unanimous.
Jim Vail (Hammond School) noted the increase in the number of bureaucrats in the CPS over the years. He was told that there is talk of revamping the bureaucracy. Stacy said to organize and work with the Organizing Dept. to fight back against the Networks growing mandates.
A delegate asked if a grievance has been filed over the use of the REACH system to evaluate teachers. She described a one hour test that 8th grade students had to take that affects a teacher’s rating. To be honest, I would have a hard time to pass that test! Stacy told her that State law requires this so no grievance can be filed. However, HB 3570 (see item IF, above) may lead to changes as the law requires the collection of data on how it may affect minority teachers in some of the schools.
The meeting adjourned at 7:24 p.m..