CHICAGO (AP) – The Chicago Teachers Union said educators in the nation’s third-largest school district will go on strike starting Oct. 17 if there’s no deal on a contract.
Union delegates met Wednesday. The union’s Facebook page announced the date before union leaders held a news conference to explain the decision.
Contract talks between the union and Chicago Public Schools continue over issues including pay and benefits, class size, staffing shortages and protecting teacher preparation time.
Negotiations resumed with fresh urgency this week. Last week over 90% of the union’s voting members authorized union leaders to set a strike date.
Chicago educators say the district has shortchanged schools after years of budget cuts and they want all the promises in writing. The district says its offer is comprehensive and “historic.”
Both sides have also waged battles to win public opinion, using revamped websites and social media.
