Chicago Teachers Union has yet to reach agreement with CPS as start of school looms; district says

[TexasTowelie]

Chicago Teachers Union has yet to reach agreement with CPS as start of school looms; district says CTU ‘is rejecting science for their own gain


Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union are at “an impasse” in negotiations over the fall reopening of schools with less than two weeks until students return for in-person learning, CTU President Jesse Sharkey said Wednesday.

“We are beginning without a comprehensive reopening agreement. This is a real problem. So far the city has not been willing to agree to metrics, which would close schools and keep us safe if this surge continues,” Sharkey said at a morning rally outside Benito Juarez Community Academy in Pilsen as school clerks returned to buildings citywide Wednesday.

“They’re trying to cut social distancing in half. They’re trying to cut a number of other provisions, which we had in place last spring. And they’re not willing to make those commitments, and we’re not willing to sign an agreement without those commitments. So we have an impasse.” Sharkey clarified later Wednesday in an online bargaining update that the union and CPS are “not at a formal impasse,” though“ bargaining has been slow and frustrating lately.”

CPS is planning to welcome students back for in-person learning five days a week beginning Aug. 30. The start of school comes amid an uptick in coronavirus cases because of the highly contagious delta variant. The average number of new daily COVID-19 cases in Chicago this week topped 400, which was the metric city and CPS officials cited a year ago when they announced they would start the 2020-21 school year with all remote learning.

Read more: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-chicago-public-schools-ctu-talks-covid-20210818-undjeyeu3ndl7mf7whajsipzq4-story.html

[VarryOn]

1. They will not start on-time...

If at all. I won't be surprised if they don't start until 2022.