The Chicago Teachers Union has filed an official 10-day strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, union leaders announced.
No date for a strike has been set. The earliest teachers could walk out is Sept. 10. The union’s House of Delegates will meet tomorrow evening to discuss next steps, the union said in a press release.
Earlier today, anticipating the filing, CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll issued this statement: “If the Chicago Teachers Union chooses to strike, we’ll be prepared to serve our kids. Students can’t afford to be removed from their classroom at a time when they’re starting to make progress with the Full School Day. They belong in school with their teachers, which is why we need to stay at the table and keep negotiating, every day if needed, until we reach a fair resolution as a strike would only hurt our kids.”
A strike would be the first in Chicago since 1987. “This is a difficult decision for all of us to make,” said union President Karen Lewis. “But this is the only way to get the Board’s attention and show them we are serious about getting a fair contract which will give our students the resources they deserve.”
More to come.