Chicago teachers’ strike stretches into second day as negotiations continue

Some 300,000 Chicago schoolchildren are out of class for the second day in a row Friday, as negotiations continue between the city and thousands of striking educators.

A senior city official told CNN on Thursday the two sides are “still pretty far apart” and the strike probably will go through the weekend.

“We understand that’s hard for parents,” Jesse Sharkey, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, told reporters Friday morning. “But it’s a short-term disruption for what we hope is a long-term commitment to educational justice in this city.”

About 25,000 educators went on strike with many of the same demands that teachers across the country have clamored for: smaller class sizes, more support staff, higher raises, and more money for schools.

Bargaining team members spent at least 10 hours at the table on Thursday, according to union Chief of Staff Jennifer Johnson.

“It was moving, but not nearly enough,” she said in a news conference Thursday night.

Among the educators is Willie Cousins, who has worked as a teacher’s assistant for five years for less than $30,000 a year, he said.

“And to make ends meet, I’ve had to pick up an extra job at Walmart, Food 4 Less — it all depends — because of my salary,” he said. “But I have a family of four that I have to provide for.”

The union also wants the city to hire more librarians, social workers, counselors and nurses. And it says there aren’t enough teachers for students learning English.

“Our students deserve smaller class sizes. They deserve nurses. They deserve social workers. They deserve bilingual educators,” special education teacher Linda Perales said.

City’s offer is the ‘best deal,’ mayor says

Chicago’s Board of Education previously released a 71-page counteroffer to the union’s demands.

“We have tried to provide the best deal that’s fiscally responsible, that’s fair to teachers and fair to taxpayers,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “It provides a 16% pay raise for all employees. It would lift up lowest-paid workers immediately. On average, support staff will see a 38% pay raise over the life of the (five-year) contract under the current offer.”

An additional $400,000 per year would be earmarked “toward a pipeline for nurses, counselors and case managers.” And $1 million would go toward reducing class sizes in classrooms from fourth to 12th grade.

“Without question, the deal that we put on the table is the best in the Chicago Teachers Union’s history,” Mayor Lightfoot said.

Schools and community centers are open to students

School buildings will remain open throughout the strike to give students a place to go and access to meals, Superintendent Janice Jackson said. The schools are staffed by administrators and employees who aren’t part of the union.

School buses won’t be running, and students aren’t required to go to school. Dozens of community centers are open to students, including YMCAs and Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.

Some parents, like Liam Boyd, do not support the strike. The father of a fourth-grader at Blaine Elementary called the strike “a whole distraction and interruption to the school year.”

“I don’t support the union,” he said. “The school district and the city has been more fair this time and (are) trying to be more fair.”