CTU reaches tentative agreement with CPS after year of contract negotiations

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Teacher's Union's 65-person "big bargaining" team and executive board voted in favor of the proposed settlement with Chicago Public Schools Monday night, reaching a tentative agreement.

Both CPS and CTU leadership praised this tentative agreement. CPS says it offers teachers the highest annual raises in more than 13 years. The union says the deal is "the next step toward transforming our schools."

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"We all took a deep breath after today. We gathered as colleagues in the Big Bargaining Team to discuss everything in great detail, to really weigh it out," said CTU big bargaining team member Vicki Kurzydlo, who is in her 31st year of teaching. "We have language that is going to ensure safety for our children, that is going to help to build a force field around our schools to protect what may be coming from our federal government."

Under terms disclosed by CPS, the tentative four-year deal includes a 4% cost-of-living raise in year one and 4-5% increases for each of the remaining three years, down from the 9% annual raises the union initially sought.

There is also increased pay for veteran educators, more librarians, nurses, and social workers, new class size limits and more elementary school teacher prep time.

"And, we've recommended that that tentative agreement be put forward to our House of Delegates and to our membership for further review," said CTU big bargaining team member Dave Stieber.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, in a statement, said, "We made sure that this agreement respects the hard work of our talented educators and reflects what's best for students."

The agreement still needs the approval of CTU's House of Delegates and the Chicago Board of Education. But after a contentious year of bargaining that saw Martinez lose his job and school board members resign, a deal would avoid a work stoppage.

The proposed agreement came a week after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson met with Martinez and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates at City Hall.

"We're really close, you all, for the first time in 15 years to get a teachers contract without a strike or a strike vote," Johnson said.

On Sunday, Johnson, a former CPS teacher and CTU organizer, took credit for being the first mayor in over a decade to possibly settle a contract without a strike.

"No other mayor brought Chicago Public Schools, the Board of Education, the Mayor's office and the CTU to the table to make sure our children get exactly what they deserve, which is a fully funded well-rounded education," Johnson said.

But Johnson spent political capital on a tumultuous process that included an unsuccessful attempt at forcing Martinez out and the resignation of his handpicked school board. Both refused Johnson's request to secure a short-term high-interest loan to pay for the contract and pensions. Teachers say their focus is on the classroom, not on how CPS affords the contract.

"Truthfully, I'm not, I'm not thinking about that right now. What I am thinking about is raising the floor for our students," Kurzydlo said.

That meeting of the union's House of Delegates scheduled for Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., and if the deal is approved, the full membership would likely vote sometime next week.