Happy Chicago teachers gathered in Chicago’s Union Park were surrounded by a marching band as they welcomed the best news for all parties–there is a tentative deal on the table.
The Chicago Public Schools system and the Chicago Teachers Union want the kids back in school bright and early on Monday morning, to put an end to a very long week for parents especially.
Hours ago, representatives from CPS schools and the Chicago Teachers Union met in the offices of union attorney Robert Bloch, and there is a tentative deal on the table that both sides are reviewing now. Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey said the teachers are still on strike, that they are reviewing the “devil in the details.”
“The devil is in the details of this contract and we want it in writing,” Sharkey told reporters. “We have the framework and the set of terms that we think will settle some of the major issues , the bones of the agreement… We do not have a contract yet. The CTU is still on strike. We’re still fighting for fair schools.”
Chicago Teachers Union attorney Robert Bloch added: “We have not settled the contract.” However, Bloch does shine a light at the end of the tunnel: “We’ve reached agreement on the most contentious issues.’’
Here photographer Richard Dickey gives you a glimpse inside the Chicago Teachers Strike, the city’s first strike in more than 25 years.
