In Chicago Strike, 2 Sides Differ on How Much They Differ
Contract negotiations continued Tuesday between Chicago Public Schools officials and the city’s teachers’ union as 350,000 students stayed out of classes for a second day.
And while Chicago Board of Education officials have said the two sides are not far apart in their talks, the union said in a news release Tuesday that it had so far agreed to only six of 49 articles contained in the current contract.
“The Chicago Public Schools has made proposals to change nearly every article,” Stephanie Gadlin, a union spokeswoman said in a statement. “It is not accurate to say both sides are extremely close — this is misinformation on behalf of the board and Mayor Emanuel. We have a considerable way to go.”
In the meantime, Mayor Rahm Emanuel declined to discuss the negotiations on Tuesday, but called the strike avoidable.