JUST BEFORE THE MILD NIGHT HOUR
THEY CAME TO AN AGREEMENT
KECHING THE TEACHERS IN THE
CLASSROOM.
BRANDIS FRIEDMAN HAS BEEN
FOLLOWING THE STORY AND WHAT IS
IN THE CONTRACT?
>> THERE WERE COMPROMISES ON
BOTH SIDES SOME MIGHT SAY THE
TEACHERS' UNION MAY HAVE COME
OUT WITH AN EDGE.
THE NEW CONTRACT IS BACK DATED
TO JULY OF LAST YEAR AND IT ENDS
IN JUNE 2019.
TEACHERS WILL GET TO KEEP THE 7%
PENSION PICK UP BUT NEW TEACHERS
HIRED AFTER THE FIRST OF 2017
WILL HAVE TO MAKE THAT
CONTRIBUTION FOR A TOTAL OF 9%
COMING FROM THE TEACHERS.
BUT THE TEACHERS WILL GET A 3.5%
SALARY INCREASE OVER THE BASE
SALARY IN JANUARY AND 3.5% IN
JEWEL OFFSETTING THAT 7%.
TEACHERS DID GET INCREASES FOR
EDUCATION AND SENIORITY STEPS
AND LANES.
RESTORED AND GOING FORWARD AND
IN FISCAL YEARS 2018-2019
TEACHERS RECEIVE COST OF LIVING
RAISES OF 2 AND 2.5%.
THOUGH MANY OF THE OFFICIALS
WERE UP LATE LAST NIGHT WRAPPING
THE DEAL UP WE CAUGHT UP WITH
JESSE SHARKEY WHO SAID THE UNION
SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO COME THIS
CLOSE TO A STRIKE TO GET THE
DEAL MADE.
>> PARENTS AND TEACHERS WERE
ARTICULATE WE SHOULD NOT
BEHOLDING POCKETS OF MONEYER
MARKED FOR DEVELOPERS IF
EDUCATION IS A PRIORITY MOVING
THAT MONEY TO THE SCHOOLS AND WE
ARE HAPPY TO SEE THEM DO IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM
CONTINUING DO IT AND BE
TRANSPARENT.
THEY PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE ABOUT
WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND HOW THEY
ARE SPENDING THAT MONEY AND
COMMITMENT TO LEGISLATION THAT
WOULD FORCE THEM TO KEEP DOING
THAT INTO THE FUTURE.
>> PARTS OF THE CONTRACT WERE
NOT ABOUT COMPENSATION BUT THE
QUALITY OF THE SCHOOLS.
THERE IS A CLAUSE ADDING A
TEACHERS AIDE TO KINDERGARTEN-2.
SOME OF THESE ARE NOT STRIKABLE
DIFFERENCES AND A LABOR
EDUCATION PROFESSOR EXPLAINS THE
UNION USED THE CONTRACT TO MAKE
CHANGES MADE BY THE POLITICAL
PROCESS.
>> YOU WOULD NORMALLY THINK OF A
LEGISLATURE OR CITY COUNCIL AS A
MECHANISM FOR PUTTING MORE
FUNDING INTO A SYSTEM THEY NEED
THE MONEY BUT THEY USED THE
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS TO
FIND $88 MILLION WITHOUT RAISING
PROPERTY TAXES.
THAT IS A CREATIVE USE OF THE
PROCESS THAT THEY SHOULD BE
COMPLIMENTED ON.
AND THIS CONTRACT LANGUAGE OR
THE SIDE LETTERS THAT ADDRESS
SCHOOL CLOSINGS, AND
PARTICULARLY CHARTER SCHOOL
CAPS.
>> AND THE DISTRICT MADE GAINS
AS WELL.
THE PENSION PICK UP WILL BE
PHASED OUT BUT OVER MORE TIME.
AND THE BOARD WANTED A FOUR-YEAR
CONTRACT WHICH THIS IS AND
TEACHERS DID AGREE TO AN
INCREASE IN HEALTHCARE
CONTRIBUTIONS AND IT COULD SAVE
THE DISTRICT $58 MILLION.
>> YOU SAID SOME PEOPLE
PERCEIVED THAT THE UNION GOTTEN
AN EDGE IN THE CONTRACT.
HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST
THE DISTRICT?
>> THAT IS THE QUESTION.
SO THOUGH THERE IS A CONTRACT
CPS IS NOT OUT OF THE WOODS THE
DISTRECT WOULD HAVE SAVED
MILLIONS ON THE 7% PENSION PICK
UP.
THE DISTRICT WILL BE RECEIVING
88 MILLION FROM THE TIF SURPLUS
BUT HOW MUCH MORE DOES IT NEED
TO MEET THE OBLIGATIONS WITH
CPU?
>> THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ARE IN BIG FINANCIAL TROUBLE
THEY DID NOT BUDGET ANYTHING FOR
ADDITIONAL SPENDING AS A RESULT
OF THIS BUDGET THEY HAD BUDGETED
$30 MILLION IN SAVINGS.
AND THAT IS A BUDGET THAT IS
ALREADY OVERRELIANT ON THINGS
COMING FROM SPRINGFIELD THAT
HAVE NOT BEEN SETTLED LIKE THE
PENSION REFORM L REFORM.
THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES
IN THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES ARE 0
THEY WILL HAVE TO GET ADDITIONAL
FUNDING FROM THE STATE WHICH IS
PROVEN TO BE VERY DIFFICULT.
IT IS A BIG QUESTION MARK AND WE
DON'T KNOW THE FULL CAST OF THE
CONTRACT YET.
>> AND IN A STATEMENT FROM CPS
THE SPOKESPERSON SAID QUOTE...
AND MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE
CONTRACT ARE AVAILABLE ON THE
WEBSITE AND IT HAS TO BE