Tentative deal with CPS to head to CTU's House of Delegates after year of negotiations

CHICAGO (WLS) -- After more than a year of negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union has reached a tentative contract deal with Chicago Public Schools.

The deal must be approved by CTU's House of Delegates. That vote will happen Wednesday.

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The deal would then be given to the all the teachers for a vote.

"Tomorrow, our delegates will be in a meeting where they will engage with the document; they will inquire. They say, 'yay' or 'nay,' and will move to the next phase of this process," CTU President Stacey Davis Gates said.

Tuesday morning, CTU leaders and educators reacted to the pending deal.

"In addition to being an educator and also a parent, this tentative agreement provides hope to me," said Diane Castro, a bilingual preschool teacher. "For too long, our classrooms have been overcrowded and under-resourced."

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According to the terms released by CPS, the four-year tentative agreement includes:

- A 4% raise in year one, and 4-5% increases for the remaining three years

- Increased pay for veteran educators

- 90 new librarians, nurses, 70 technology coordinators, more teacher assistants, bilingual education support and social workers

- New class size limits

- More sustainable schools

- More elementary school teacher prep time

- Doubling the CPS budget for sports

Both CPS and CTU leadership praised the tentative agreement.

"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."

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

"Many of the proposals you see today go way back, months ago: sports we agreed to back in the fall," Martinez said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

He said the contract should have been a done deal months ago, and that CTU started with a proposal that cost $10 billion over four years.

Instead, the final agreement will cost the district $1.5 billion. While the district has the money this year, paying for the remaining three will likely depend on more Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, surplus money from the city.

"Many people talk about how we may not have enough money to solve these fiscal challenges. But, somehow, through and through, we will figure it out," Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said. "I gave them direction on how to get it done."

Johnson said Tuesday he will not allow CPS to fail.

Martinez, Davis Gates and Johnson are all taking victory laps, after landing a tentative deal without a strike or strike vote.

"This truly has been a demonstration of resilience," Davis Gates said.

The offer is similar to the amount CPS proposed a year ago, but, CTU says union wins go beyond money.

"This is the antithesis of DOGE; we are bringing back union jobs that cost less and provide great support and services to our schools," CTU Vice President Jackson Potter said.

It began with the union leadership of the late Karen Lewis. The CTU says its latest contract is the product of 15 years of struggle.

The year-long contentious negotiations included a mayoral and CTU effort to oust Martinez and the mass resignation of Johnson's handpicked school board.

"When you are fighting ensure we have a district that respects working people in this city, it will always be worth the fight," Johnson said.

After the union presents the plan to its members, Martinez will present the plan to the CPS Board for a final approval. That process could take a couple of weeks.