Most CTU clinicians are opposing the proposed one day 'strike' despite heavy push from union officers... Only two out of 109 who returned survey are supporting the one-day 'strike'...
Chicago Public Schools clinicians have united against CPS cutbacks on these essential services and are not unified in opposition to another one-day so-called "strike" being proposed by the CTU leadership after the leadership back down from a contract strike in October 2016.Chicago Teachers Union clinician members had a rousing meeting on March 21, 2017, with Maria Moreno, a former clinician who is now CTU Financial Secretary, speaking the CTU sound bites getting an earful! There were just over 100 responses from clinicians on the union leadership's proposal for a May 1 one-day "strike" -- with an overwhelming number said- no way! This was with only having a few days to answer the email.
Clinicians Are Not on Board for the 5/1 Strike Being Pushed by CTU Leadership
At the March 21, 2017 Clinician Steering Committee meeting at Chicago Teachers Union offices, there was discussion on how clinicians feel about the May 1 'Day of Action' being pushed by the CTU leadership. Last week, an email was sent out to as many clinicians as we can (remember, emails are the best way we can reach our members even though CTU has a hard time understanding that!). A deadline of 3/17 was given so that the responses could be compiled for last night's meeting. This gave them only about 24-36 hours but the Steering Committee got 109 responses -- of which only two were in support of the action.
That is overwhelming.
Some of the responses were: 'Terrible idea. Time to strike was Fall but CTU pushed through this god awful contract';
'We should have gone on strike and the contract should not have been accepted. My pay has been going down each year with the furlough days...it just puts more money in CPS pockets...we need new leadership'; 'no,no,no, i do NOT want the union to consider this useless action'; when is the next CTU election?; Can we have a rally instead of a strike?'; What is the one day strike prove?; and so on.
The discussion of what the clinicians were saying was met by the usual sound bites from Maria Moreno who was a speech pathologist before becoming CTU Financial Secretary. This was meant by push back from most of the members of the committee but not all of them. We were told that CTU will not do the 5/1 Strike if they do not get 75% of the members to approve the action. We were not sure if this meant the House of Delegates action on April 5th as well.
The clinician delegates are sending out an email either today or tomorrow that will be inviting clinicians to come to one of four meetings. Here it is:
"Hi, clinicians! The Clinician Steering Committee went through your comments from the May 1st Strike at our monthly Tuesday meeting. We hear that you are displeased (to say the least) and that you want some change!!! Since this is OUR union we want to talk with you personally and figure out what the next plan of action is to fight these furlough days, clerk cuts, ending school early, etc. Please join us next week for some round tables that delegates will be having. We've set up four throughout the city, and we hope that you can make one. If you can't we'll be more than happy to have those conversations with you via phone, email, whatever works for you! Email me if that works better for you! Please let me know if you have any questions, and we hope to see you soon!
Monday 3/27 at 6:30 pm at CTU Headquarters, 1901 West Carroll
Tuesday 3/28 at 6 pm at CTU Headquarters, 1901 West Carroll
Wednesday 3/29 at 6 pm at Starbucks, 63rd and Halsted
Thursday 3/30 4:30 pm at Edgewater Branch Public Library, 6000 N Broadway..."
