CORE secured 'hardship' forms for Chicago teachers during May 1 payroll debacle
By the end of February, most members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) knew that the Chicago Public Schools, with CTU agreement, had pushed pay dates back a week on May 1, 2009. That delyed the two-week check for all employees until May 8. For many members, this was too late to pay rent, mortgages, etc. Thanks to the persistence of members of CORE (Caucus of Rank and File Educators), we uncovered a payroll form that all CPS workers could use in case of hardship. The form allowed members to request an advance on their May 8 check, which they would get on or before May 1.
Here is what happened, partly narrated and partly in the form of e-mails from the days around May 1.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
At Chicago Vocational Career Academy High School, where I am CTU delegate, our after school union meeting was attended by about 50 members (and CTU Field Rep Nate Dickson). The main issue of interest was the payroll issue, which I explained and answered questions about. At a previous meeting, I had told members that those facing May 1 issues with bills should call the CPS Payroll Department. I knew about this because CORE had investigated the issue, but I wasn’t sure at that point whether Payroll would really do anything.
Several CVCA members had called payroll, and while some were told that a hardship form did not exist, others were sent a copy of the form. I learned during the meeting that a copy of an “Employee Authorization Form” would be e-mailed to me. After letting the members know that I would make copies and have it available for them in the morning, I asked Nate Dickson to tell the union leaders to send this out to all the delegates. After the meeting, I emailed a copy of the form to the CTU leadership, asking them to get the information to the members. I also put it on First Class.
By Wednesday, April 29, a little before noon, the clerk at my school brought me a copy of the fax the union had sent to delegates.
Thursday, April 30
It was one day before the payroll was due.
Eric Skalinder (associate delegate, Kelly High School) posted this hilarious response on "First Class," the Board's bulletin board.
Dear CTU:
As Union delegate at my school I want to thank you for the fax you sent informing CTU members of our option to receive a 10-day paycheck this Friday rather than the scheduled 5-day payment.
Unfortunately, the office clerk (a PSRP) assigned to sit in front of our fax machine all day waiting for important messages from our Union leadership team was pulled away from her station at the time the fax was sent — approximately 12:00 noon on Wednesday, April 29.
I do not know when this slacking employee actually placed the flyer in my mailbox because after the fax was sent I was neglecting my responsibilities as Union Delegate until 4:45 p.m.; I was, you see, teaching and working with my students. Only after my classes, when I checked my mailbox for the last time, did I receive your fax. By then, however, the deadline had passed for submitting paperwork for the payroll alteration. (The deadline — 5:00 p.m, Wednesday, April 29 — had passed.)
Knowing you sent the fax at noon on the day of the deadline, I am grateful you allowed a generous 5-hour window of opportunity during which office staff, Union delegates, and members might:
a) receive the fax transmission,
b) distribute the fax to the appropriate designee,
c) read it,
d) photocopy duplicates,
e) disseminate those duplicates to over 200 Union members,
f) download the appropriate form at the bottom of the CTU website,
g) print the PDF,
h) complete the form itself, and
i) fax the form to CPS.
Your choice to transmit this information through a route involving at least three different parties within a time period of five hours makes much more sense than sending an e-mail directly to me and other Union members. Of course, I understand that communicating directly with constituents via e-mail is one of those new fangled technological advancements that can be difficult for wily veterans to implement. And sending both a digital fax and a digital e-mail might be prohibitively expensive given the current high cost of bytes and bits and other such computerish stuff.
Though we did not receive this memo in time for any of our Union employees to actually utilize any of the information, I commend you on your creative semi- / non-solution. Just as with other belated blast fax arrivals, tardy House of Delegate agendas, and other important information distributed haphazardly at the last minute, your continued efforts are a true testament to our CTU leadership team.
Eric Skalinder, Kelly High School
Friday, May 1
Xian Barrett, Julian High School associate delegate and teacher, posted the following to "First Class," District Wide Teacher Area:
Dear CTU:
I'm really confused. I'm an associate union delegate, and I received no information about the payroll problems and advances from the Union Leadership until Thursday — through my principal.
I went to all of the House of Delegates Meetings and delegate trainings, and when I and others asked about the issue, we were told that "You just don't understand" and that "You shouldn't worry about it" by the leadership.
I found out about it on Wednesday from CORE members and the district 299 blog, and distributed to as many members at my school as I could.
Then I saw on the CTU website the President's memo stating this: "Once the Union discovered that there was a provision being offered to certain teacher employees, CTU sent out the information to all CTU delegates. (Although other members may have known of this provision they did not share it with their Union brothers and sisters.)"
I checked on here and elsewhere and I only see messages from CORE members urging teachers to inform each other about the issue. You can even see it on the CORE website: http://coreteachers.org/. It almost seems like the leadership took my $1000 in union dues, didn't do anything for me on the issue. Then when my colleagues and I were saved by the work of a small group of teachers, lied about it on the website we are paying for. That couldn't really be true could it?
How can a small group with $35 membership dues be doing more for me than a multi-million dollar group taking a healthy portion of my salary? This is bizarre. Someone please clarify.
Xian Barrett, Julian High School
Saturday, May 2
Jennifer Rehak posted to First Class, District Wide Teacher Area
I can confirm that the Union is taking credit for the work of other people. Marilyn [Stewart] and the local area rep were at my school Tuesday morning [April 28] for an impromptu meeting. When a teacher at my school (who is also a member of CORE) spoke about the hardship option that teachers at CVCA had secured, the local rep told her it wasn't possible and that she was misinformed. Then when Marilyn Stewart arrived, we asked her and she responded that she was not aware of any options that allowed teachers to receive an advance. Our teacher emailed our staff (and copied the Union) later Tuesday. Then Wednesday afternoon, the Union sent out information (via fax) taking credit for the hard work of a group of teachers.
*%*$()*%)$ if you ask me ... :)
On May 2, Xian Barrett was moved to write the following:
Dear CTU members:
We the members of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) want to formally apologize. We understand that since it is the current leadership's job to blow $24 million per year in hard earned members' dues on car allowances and expense accounts, that the entire business of the protection of members falls on to us, in addition to our full-time teaching jobs.
In this most recent incident with the payroll, while our volunteer group was able to shake out of the board an acknowledgement of the pay change, its potential effect on members, and a hardship plan to advance salary, we failed to provide this information to every last member, since we do not possess the contact information for every last member. This was especially unforgivable since the $24 million leadership was far too busy with important business of planning golf outings, making an expensive, content-less propaganda rag, holding self-promoting union meetings at schools, spending money, preparing for Television appearances, eating food, threatening members, testifying against members in hearings, bowling, watching television, driving around in ill-gotten gains, trying to learn how to count up to high numbers such as 280 (or however many delegates still come to HOD meetings), talking to lawyers, begging for help from other union heads, having tea parties with other union heads who happen to be lawyers, making fun of younger teachers, complaining about older teachers, bragging about other people organizing charter school teachers to join a different union, organizing unattended, pointless member trainings where this payroll issue was brought up and brushed aside, and countless other more vital tasks.
Sincerely, CORE
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