CHICAGO (March 23, 2016) – Today, the Chicago Teachers Union is expected to vote on a one-day walkout scheduled for April 1 in protest of the contract offer from Chicago Public Schools. CPS officials claim this one-day walkout is illegal because it goes outside of the legal timeline for a strike set by the state. As reported by major news outlets in the city, the contract proposal from the CPS Board of Education includes bans on teacher layoffs, caps on charter schools and pay increases for teachers. The proposal also includes requiring teachers to pay more toward their own pension and health care costs.

The Illinois Policy Institute chronicled the 2012 Chicago Teachers Union strike and has studied CPS finances closely. Spokespeople are available for interviews.

Spokespeople available:
John Tillman, CEO
Diana Rickert, vice president of communications

Illinois Policy Institute’s take on the walkout vote:

1. This vote is irresponsible for teachers and unfair for students. The people who are supposed to be dedicated to helping students learn are voting to walk out of the classroom and making unreasonable demands.

2. Unaffordable contracts and promises made to the teachers union are a major factor behind CPS’ current fiscal crisis.

3. Neither CPS nor CTU is blameless for the current problems of the schools, but students are being forced to pay the price. In 2012, teachers walked out of the classroom for more than a week to demand unaffordable salary and benefit increases. Now, the CPS budget is in worse shape, but CTU is exploiting the needs of students to demand even further concessions.

Additional details on the current contract negotiations between CPS and CTU are available here: http://bit.ly/1MBQQzZ

For bookings or interviews: Nathaniel Hamilton or Diana Rickert (312) 607-4977