The Chicago Tribune reports that Chicago Public Schools is bringing charges against the Chicago Teachers Union over a one-day strike that took place April 1.
District CEO Forrest Claypool says the district wants a permanent injunction against similar one-day strikes. The district is also seeking damages resulting from the strike. “[We have to] know with certainty that CTU leadership can’t, at their own whim, say ‘We’re going to shut down the schools’ without following the law,” Claypool said at a news conference.
The district says the union broke state law with its one-day strike. State law prohibits teachers’ unions from going on strike until the fact-finding phase of contract negotiations is completed. Negotiations are currently in the fact-finding phase, which is expected to finish in mid-May. The union counters that the district broke labor law by cutting off raises promised in its last contract.
The district’s charges were filed Friday with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.
On Friday, the district had to close all its schools because of the strike. More than 435,000 students were affected. Teachers who didn’t show up for work didn’t get paid by the district. If they did show up, they had to give that day’s salary to the teachers’ union or risk suspension or expulsion from the union. Teachers wouldn’t lose their job if expelled from the union, but they would still have to pay union dues.
Students will not get to make up the lost academic day. The union also went on strike in September 2012, which lasted seven school days. The Chicago Teachers Union is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
