Judge grants fired CPS CEO Pedro Martinez restraining order in case against board in CTU bargaining

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates announced progress in the union's contract negotiations after a setback in court on Tuesday.

"It's a lot of noise out here, but today, we were bargaining," Davis Gates said.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

A judge granted CPS CEO Pedro Martinez's temporary restraining order complaint.

"All I ever wanted to do was to do this job, and to allow me to do it well. And to allow me to do it in good faith," Martinez said.

Tuesday's ruling means Chicago Board of Education members, who voted last week to fire Martinez without cause, cannot participate in CTU contract negotiations.

"To be literally strategizing outside of us. The union, the mayor's office and our board members. That is not right," Martinez said.

"At least initially what [the TRO] going to say is, one, that the board and the board of education cannot obstruct Mr. Martinez job duties. They can't interfere with the negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union. They can't diminish his job overall and they can't instruct his staff," said William Quinlan, Martinez's attorney.

And while the CEO made progress in court, Davis Gates said she was at her union headquarters, progressing on teacher contract talks, including adding two adults to every kindergarten classroom.

"I'm disappointed that Pedro believed that he had to go to a courthouse to be able to interact powerfully," Davis Gates said.

The court battle stemmed from an ongoing fight between Martinez and Mayor Brandon Johnson after the CEO refused to take out a loan to pay for the teachers' contract.

The teachers union has criticized Martinez for his legal action, calling it a "dangerous new precedent" and saying that he "fails to understand what his job is and who he works for."

Now, the CTU president said she is preparing to see Martinez at the bargaining table on Thursday and hopes that the tentative progress made is not set back.

"Since now, the courts have decided that Pedro is in charge, we'll be here on Thursday at 10 a.m. with his bargaining team," Davis Gates said. "If that progress stops, the only person we have to look at is Pedro Martinez."

The TRO will stay in place at least until the next hearing, which is set for Jan. 9, just six days before the elected school board members are sworn in.

Another motion filed Tuesday mentions that the chief talent officer at CPS flagged as an ethics concern, shortly after he took office, that Johnson is on CTU leave from his CPS job.

ABC7 reached out to Johnson's office for comment, but did not immediately hear back.