HOD 3-21

Report on the Meeting of the House of Delegates on March 3, 2021

By George Milkowski

I. Officer Reports

A. Recording Secretary Christel Williams-Hayes – Christel had a family emergency so there was no report from her except approval of the minutes of the previous House meeting.  This item was presented by Maria Moreno.

B. Financial Report Kathy Catalano – Kathy said Union dues provide 90% of our budget and we have received $1,007,236 more in dues at this time compared to last year and have $453,256 more after our “pass throughs” to the IFT and AFT.  However, we also have $452,755 more in unbudgeted expenses due to COVID related action plus $111,363 more in costs for meetings. so we have about a net zero situation.  Our current excess in funds is $186,327.

C. Recording Secretary Maria Moreno – Our membership is up by 164 and currently stands at 28,311, of which 1,748 are retiree members.  

    Maria announced that a list of 27 candidates running for 17 retiree delegate positions will be mailed out.  This list is just to inform retirees as to who is running (I am) and an actual Scantron ballot will be mailed out on March 17.

D. Vice President Stacy Davis Gates  - Stacy took some time off.  Jesse said she really deserved this as she did so much during negotiations with the CPS over in person re-opening.  Plus, Jesse’s mother was ill and died in December and Stacy took on the lion’s share of work of running the Union at that time.

II. President’s Report – Jesse Sharkey

Pres. Sharkey recognized the feelings of clerks and techs who ended up going back into the school buildings when the CPS ignored the ruling of an arbitrator.  He understands that they feel like “canaries in the coal mine” and that some CTU members are disappointed at the agreement with the Board but he feels that our unity is important and now we have to concentrate on enforcing the agreement.  He said the new safety committees in schools are critical, especially since the CPS has $280,000,000 in COVID relief funds available to mitigate any problems.  He also assumes that high schools will re-open following the existing pattern but it is more complicated as teens are more likely to transmit the virus and it is impossible to have small pods of students in the high schools.

III. Item for Action

At  two previous meetings there were proposals that the Union give $2,000 to those members who lost income when they were locked out of teaching by the Board when they refused to re-enter school buildings.  A Union committee looked at the situation and decided a flat $2,000 grant would be unfair as some lost only a day or two of income while others lost 3-4 weeks on income.  Instead, the CTU has set up a “hardship committee” to which those who lost income can apply for grants and receive them after they document their loses.  Jesse estimates it would take about $300,000 to make everyone whole and so far the Union had about $203,000 available for those in need; $100,000 came from the AFT and about an$103,000 came from a GoFundMe site.  The CTU will ask all members who can to contribute to the fund.  The motion passed 84% to 9% with about 8% abstaining.  Delegates were also asked to agree to contribute and most of us, myself included, agreed to donate over $100 each, resulting in an additional $40,000 raised for the fund.  One delegate asked if we had a court case trying to get the money from the Board.  Jesse said yes but he felt it is unlikely we would win.

IV. Department/Committee Reports

A1. Organizing – Rebecca Martinez – The CTU has had bout 300 members who came in for training for the new school safety committees.  Rebecca stressed that delegates cannot let principals get control of these committees.  The CTU has prepared a preliminary checklist for the committees to use since the CPS has not agreed to a common checklist in concert with the Union as the CPS had said they would do,

A2. Grievance Report – Zeidre Foster – The Union has received a lot of complaints about the CPS dragging its feet on accommodating a number of members under the aegis of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  

The CTU is defending members who have been or have been threatened with discipline for speaking to parents about the return to schools.  Of 114 cases 80 have been dropped and the CTU expects to win the remaining 34.  In regard to this, the CTU filed an Unfair Labor Practice last week.

B. Political/Legislative - Kurt Hilgendorf – Kurt announced that the Governor has still not signed HB 2275, the bill that would fully restore bargaining rights to the CTU.  All are urged to call his office and ask that he sign it.  The Chicago number is 312-814-2121.

We need to work on passage of SB2497/HB2908.  This legislation would establish an elected representative school board in Chicago.  Chicago is the only school district in the entire State that does NOT have an elected school board.

The CTU also asks that you contact your legislators to sponsor and support SB577/HB114.  If passed this law would require charter schools to agree to neutrality in attempts by employees to form a union.

Lastly, HB 18 would have tenured teachers be evaluated every three years instead of every two years.

C. CTU-ACTS – Chris Baehrend – Chris reported that some charter schools want to re-open with lower safety standards than the CPS.  Passages schools is the most stubborn.

Cicero High School announced a return to school without negotiations with the union.  They had previously said they would negotiate before re-opening.

Lastly, Chris reported that his school, Latino Youth, is on its 28th week of faculty and staff ignoring orders to return to the buildings and there has been no actions taken against anyone

V. New Business/Questions and Answers

Charlotte Brent (retired) asked what is to be done if a student doesn’t wear a mask.  Jesse said that unless they have a verifiable medical reason, they have to wear one.  

Karen Soto (Waters) asked who is in charge of the air quality monitors that are supposed to be used in every room if the engineer is assigned to more than one school and therefor not always available?   Jesse said to talk with the principal for starters.

Sandi Hoggatt (Kenwood), a new delegate, asked about the salary of CTU staff.  Jesse  explained that those matters are determined in May and June and are part of the CTU’s annual budget.

Mary Esposito (clinician) asked what is to be done when Pre – K staff were denied 3 ¼ hours prep time that everyone else was given.  Jesse said that this issue has been raised with the CPS already and so far they are ignoring us on it.

Karen Trine (Young) asked about a CTU constitutional amendment that would allow PSRPs in a school to become a union delegate or alternate delegate.  Jesse said the Union is looking into developing such an amendment.