HOD FEB MEETING

February House of Delegates Meeting CTU

By Jim Vail

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) held its Feb. House of Delegates (HOD) meeting in a simple fashion.

The CTU Financial Report by James Gillmeister stated that the union is currently analyzing the future financial ramifications from the upcoming Supreme Court decision in Janus that may result in no longer automatically deducting union dues when you join the union. How much fair share revenue will the union lose if teachers do not want to pay the union?

The CTU has currently sublet about one-third of the space it was renting at the Merchandise Mart. The union had anticipated to sublet at least two-thirds, which has created a hole in the budget, Gillmeister said.

The Financial Secretary Maria Moreno said about 80 percent of the teachers voted in favor of merging the charter school teachers into the CTU. 

There are 29 new CTU retiree delegates and ten are 85 years or older, Moreno said.  

VP Jesse Sharkey gave his report. President Karen Lewis was not in attendance. Lewis had also missed the Jan. HOD meeting.

Sharkey told the delegates that the CTU intends to stop school privatization by joining up with the charter schools to make a stronger team. Former charter union president Chris Baehrend noted that the charters have also negotiated good contracts, including one charter that has a 23 student class size cap.

Sharkey said to beware of the Illinois Policy Institute - a pro-business, anti-union, right-wing, anti-tax group which will send out info. to CTU members to try to convince them they shouldn't pay their union dues. Since these clowns represent businesses, that's like telling consumers not to buy products. If enough union members decide to not pay their union dues then the union will cease to exist (and teachers will earn Catholic school wages).

"We need to build our base of power," Sharkey said.

There is a Working People's Day of Action Saturday, Feb. 24 at 11am at the Federal Plaza at Dearborn and Adams, CTU wear red that is a response to upcoming anti-union ruling expected by the US Supreme Court. The CTU flyer reads: "No mayor, no court, no governor, no president, and no corporate bully can stop us when we unite to fight for our rights, our communities and our futures."