Chicago Federation of Labor votes to support Opt Out boycott
The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) which represents more than 320 affiliated unions and more than 500,000 union members in Chicago and Cook County voted to support boycotting Chicago teachers. On March 4, 2014, at the monthly CFL delegates meeting held at Chicago Plumbers Hall 1340 W Washington Blvd. a resolution was put on the agenda to support the Chicago Teachers Union members who are boycotting the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT).
Robert Reiter, Secretary-Treasurer of the CFL introduced the resolution. In a short explanation to the CFL delegates by a CTU Local 1 Representative, of the reasons why the teachers were boycotting the tests, it was made clear that the tests were irrelevant to student achievement and being phased out anyway next year. Even more persuasive was the fact that these types of outdated tests take up to two weeks of instructional time away from the children in the Chicago Public Schools which are a waste of money and resources.
The resolution passed unanimously by the delegates, it was resolved that the CFL support the right of the teachers to exercise their First Amendment rights to boycott the standardized tests.
