Letter from President Lewis and FAQ on 4% Raises
08/02/2011
Brothers and Sisters:
The Board of Education's refusal to fund our contractually provided 4% cost of living adjustments was a political rather than economic decision. The new mayor is establishing a bust-the-unions game plan that will deepen the sense of disrespect and lack of support that CPS has created among our members. He has said we don't deserve the raise that the City negotiated in good faith; incredibly, given the 12-hour days many of you regularly put in, he suggested that we don't work long enough and need to make home visits. And with increased health care costs all but certain, the loss of the 4% raise will net out as a pay cut in the neighborhood of 30%.
Many people have asked "Where do we go from here?" "What's your strategy?" The first piece of our strategy is to build support with other unions affected by the Board's decision. We have an opportunity now to create unprecedented solidarity with other staff throughout our buildings. Reach out to the engineers, custodians, lunchroom workers, child welfare assistants, security guards and other people you work with and with whom you've possibly only had brief conversations in the past. Ask for their support. You'll be pleasantly surprised at their willingness to back us.
Second - we are in the process of completing a detailed budget analysis. We have been in intensive discussion with budget experts from AFT, certified public accountants and members who have spent years studying the budget and the Comprehensive AnnualFinancial Report (CAFR). Article 47-2.2 the scheduled increases to Appendix A for Fiscal Years 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 shall notbe able to fund such increases for that Fiscal Year." The Board is apparently contending that a "reasonable expectation" means nothing more than its unsupported opinion. We have asked to review the district's finances and have been told that budget hearings will bein August.
We urge you to attend the hearings and have your voices heard. They will be held WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10TH at Lane Tech, 2501 W. Addison, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11TH at Westinghouse, 3223 W. Franklin Blvd., and FRIDAY AUGUST 12TH at Simeon, 8147 S.Vincennes. We will be glad to provide you with questions to ask and talking points that drive home the message about shared sacrifices. Third - we are calling for an emergency meeting of the Executive Board that will convene August 2nd to discuss our options and provide uswith a working bargaining committee. We have heard your concerns and will bring them all to the table.
Most of all, this year, invest in relationships with the parents of your students. I say this knowing that the majority do this without prompting whenever you can. But it's worth remembering that the support of parents, who see our investment in their children's lives every day, is far more powerful than the rhetoric of politicians, pundits and "experts" pushing budget shortfalls onto the backs of teachers. The relationships we build now will protect us later.
In unity and solidarity,
Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT
President
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FAQ on Board Rescinded Raises
Q. What happened to the 4% raises that the Board promised educators?
A. The Board took advantage of contract language that allowed them to break their promise.
Q. Is it true that the Board can’t afford the raises?
A. Probably not. The Board hasn’t disclosed any budget details. Nearly every year for the past decade, they’ve claimed massive deficits that turned out to be false. The Board routinely gives away hundreds of millions of dollars to banks and private businesses that should go to the schools.
Q. What does this mean for my pay or my retirement?
A. This question hasn’t been resolved yet. It depends on what happens in negotiations.
Q. Is it true that 75% of teachers will get raises anyway?
A. Not really. Not only will teachers lose real wages due to hikes in health insurance premiums, but next year’s inflation is expected to be double this year’s. Some teachers will earn a higher pay grade (a “lane change”) by working (and paying) their way through graduate courses. Newer teachers will earn experience-based raises, which max out before teachers are halfway to retirement.
Q. I hear people say that overpaid teachers make big bucks for working just 9 months per year and 36 hours per week. How do I respond
A. Anyone who tells you this doesn’t know a teacher. That only describes the time we're officially required to be in class. It doesn’t account for: grading, lesson planning, materials preparation, parent conferences, school shows, professional development, and a million other out-of-class labors-of-love that every teacher makes. Anyone who’s watched a teacher work through a school year knows what an exhausting marathon it is.
Q. My friends and relatives who work in the private sector don’t get 4% annual raises. Many are even unemployed. Shouldn’t teachers share the sacrifice?
A. Teachers aren’t the ones responsible for this economic mess – yet we’re the ones asked to give up more and more to fix it. While working people suffer, corporate elitesare raking it in. If educators don’t stand up to them, who will? Those who want to stop this race to the bottom should support our fight.
Q. Is it a done deal? Can the Union do anything?
A. The Union has invoked its right to make the Board of Education negotiate and prove its claims. If the two parties can’t reach an agreement, the Union can choose to renegotiate the entire contract. Those negotiations could possibly lead to job actions—up to and including an educators’ strike or a Board lockout.
Q. What are the possible outcomes in this situation?
A. The three possibilities are: 1) the Board listens to reason, 2) CTU and the Board negotiate a compromise, or 3) an all out battle. So far, the mayor and the Board appear to want a fight.
Q. What happens now? Can the union call a strike?
A. As noted above, there is a legally mandated negotiation process in which both sides must try to avoid an extreme outcome. It will be several months before a strike or lockout could happen. As in all high-stakes situations, the best course of action is to “strive for the best and prepare for the worst.”
Q. How can I contribute to the Union’s efforts?
A. Stay informed, stay in touch, and be vocal.
