Does the plan for a one-day CTU 'strike' on May 1 including a strike against the Special Olympics?... Or did somebody just fail to look at the calendar after the Polar Plunge was ended...
Opening of the 2016 Special Olympics in Chicago.Is it possible that the leaders of the CTU did not look at the Special Olympics 2017 schedule when announcing a one-day "strike" for May 1, 2017? In the rush to have some sort of display of discontentment, the Chicago Teachers Union has decided to look into having a one day strike on Monday, May 1, 2017. They felt they would show how left wing they are by using the International May Day celebration and holiday in many parts of the world to have a show of force.
The announcement of the plan, which came before the March 8 meeting of the union's House of Delegates which was supposed to discuss a plan to discuss the May 1 one-day "strike" in all the city's schools, caused union delegates and other rank and file members to scratch their heads and wonder why.
At the House of Delegates meeting, CTU leadership got a lot of push back from delegates. The leadership orchestrated a House of Delegates vote to defer the actual decision to have the ‘one day strike’ vote by the House of Delegates at the HOD's April meeting.
One of the ironies of the meeting, according to many delegates, was that in the leadership report by Financial Secretary Maria Moreno as great deal was made about the CTU's participation in the annual "Polar Plunge." The Polar Plunge raises money for the Special Olympics. But Moreno apparently didn't consult the Special Olympics calendar further: In their rush to have this supposed show of force, the CTU leadership did not even bother to look at how it could affect CPS students.
I received a message that a clinician got from parents of a student. They said that May 1st is going to be one of the days that the Chicago area is going to have the Spring Special Olympics Games, and the parents knew their child would be disappointed when the CTU did another one-day "strike".
Athletes know these things. The special needs children are getting ready for these games and it is a big deal for them.
On Friday, April 28th, there will be an Opening Ceremony scheduled at Soldiers’ Field, with the games being held at Eckersall Stadium during the week starting on Monday, May 1st.
How did the CTU leadership not know that their planned day of action might interfere with this? This can impact the relationship with some of the most vocal and politically savvy parents’- special education parents. They are involved in the CTU Special Education Task Force which meets monthly at the CTU Offices.
Obviously they are willing to give Claypool and the Board ammunition to tell the public how CTU does not think of the welfare of CPS students. This is not a smart move!
Comments:
By: Ray Lesniewski
May 1
How about the fact that AP exams in Chemistry, Environmental Science and Psychology happen for all high school students taking those exams on May 1? In my opinion there should be no talk of strike on any of those AP exam testing days (for the two weeks starting on May 1). Students and teachers work very hard all year long to prepare for that day. It's not even a given that the College Board would grant a waiver for students missing out due to a strike and allow them to take the test at a later time.
By: Rachel Fowler
one-day strike
I must be missing something here. Aren't the teachers, etc. going to be out of work for 4 days during the year without pay? And now the CTU wants them to be without pay for another day? This is not about higher pay, etc. It seems that the union's officers want to put on a show. Is the union going to pay the teachers for lost wages out of the union's coffers? I sincerely doubt it.
By: bob Busch
10% solution
In January 1980 Chicago teachers had not been paid in over a month.It had been a bleak Christmas in a cold ass winter.Hammering out an agreement with something called the School Finance Authority the CTU suddenly decided no pay no work.So The union called a five day work stoppage,it was not a strike and some teachers did report to school.These teachers were not scabs.Then the union called for a one week strike , to cool things off.Finally in the third week of January we got all our retroactive pay.Except the 10% our activities cost us.On the last day of school the paychecks of all those who worked during the work stoppage had that money subtracted from their last check.Is history repeating it self?
By: Jo-Anne Cairo
May 1,2017 Strike
Is there a LACK of communication at the CTU? It is obvious that no one remembers how to read events on a calendar. By any chance are they in Florida with the Trump? Whatever happen to the old fashion way by communicating and checking event schedules. oh I forgot that's not on a electrical device.
Where are those who are loud and yelling at meetings how Special Education is being deprived, they don't read event calendars?