2019 Community, Parent, and Neighborhood Groups Statement of Support for Chicago Teachers and Staff

It appears likely that the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) administration’s irresponsible delays in meaningful negotiations will again force the 23,000 members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) out on strike. Teachers have been working without a contract since June 30 and have been negotiating in good faith with CPS for the last nine months with little progress. That is why 94 percent of teachers voted at the end of September to authorize a strike. 

Seven thousand members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, which represents school security guards, special education assistants, engineers, and other school staff, have been working without a contract for over a year and 97 percent of members voting in July authorized a strike. 

We, community, parent, and neighborhood groups throughout the city of Chicago, support the CTU's demands for lower classroom sizes; a nurse, librarian and caseworker in every school; social workers, counselors and other clinicians at professionally recommended staffing levels; sanctuary protections for students and families; creation of 75 sustainable community schools; and a fair raise for educators and paraprofessionals, who are some of the lowest paid staff in our school district. 

We also support SEIU's contract proposals for higher pay, better working conditions and work schedules, and an end to the privatization of engineers that has left our school buildings filthy. 

During the campaign, then candidate Lightfoot supported many of the teachers' proposals to improve our schools. But, as mayor, she has refused to put those promises in writing in a legally binding contract with our educators. We call on the Mayor to direct the CPS Board she controls to put in writing her campaign promises for more school investments and reach a fair agreement with CTU and SEIU that improves the teaching and learning conditions in our schools. 

We pledge to stand in solidarity with CTU and SEIU members on the picket lines and in the streets if CPS forces them to strike.