- Credibility:
CHICAGO — The longest teacher’s strike in three decades could end this week after delegates for the Chicago Teachers Union voted 364 to 242 in favor of a tentative contract Wednesday night — but classes were still canceled for an 11th day.
The union said a deal hinges on whether Mayor Lori Lightfoot will agree to make up the school days lost to the strike.
Chicago Public Schools previously said classes could resume as soon as Thursday depending on the outcome of the CTU meeting, but classes were canceled about 9 p.m. Thursday.
“[Mayor Lightfoot] now has an opportunity to make up this ground and settle the strike — by insuring that Chicago students get a full school year that allows teachers enough time to get through the curriculum they are obligated to deliver,” the union said in a statement.
The House of Delegates is the 700-member governing body of the union, which has been pushing for smaller class sizes, more special education teachers, more nurses, more prep time and other issues since walking out on Oct. 17. The strike from the 25,000-member union meant 300,000 students had no classes for 10 school days.
Lightfoot has said the days lost to the strike would not be tacked onto the end of the school year, which ends June 16.
“Why is the mayor taking out her anger over the strike on CPS students by reducing instructional time?” CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates said on Twitter. “The CTU may have reached a monumental agreement and want to convene our HoD to suspend the strike.”
