HOD April

Report on the meeting of the House of Delegates held on April 4, 2022

By George Milkowski

The meeting began at 4:33 p.m. and was a Zoom webinar.

I. Officers Reports

A.   Christel Williams- Hayes – Recording Secretary.  Christel said the CTU has begun hosting a series of in-person meetings for PSRPs.  She also said the CPS is making plans to increase the privatization of Technology Coordinators.   She urged delegates to work with the their LSCs and their PPCs to protect current Techno Coordinators from budget cuts.

B.  Kathy Catalano – Financial Report.  Kathy reported that income from dues is about $200,000 ahead of what was expected in the budget.  Counting all income sources we are $2,170,917 ahead of schedule 

C. Maria Moreno – Financial Secretary – Our membership is currently 28,113 and retiree membership has increased by 17 to 1,655. 

Maria presented an Eligibility Report for the upcoming CTU election and that there are three slates with a few independents.  Sue Sebasta drew lots on camera to determine the order that the slates will appear on the ballot.  They will be 1) C.O.R.E.,

2) Members First, and 3) R.E.A.L. Caucus.

Maria said that the deadline for caucuses to pay for mailing of their campaign material has been expended to May 20, the day of the election.  Due to a change in the rules the House approved last month these materials will not be submitted for approval to the CTU but each caucus will have to sign an affidavit attesting that the material is actually theirs and that they are responsible for them.

Citywide members, such as retirees, will be first getting electronic and paper sample ballots and then on April 21 the actual ballots will be mailed out.

D.  Caroline Rutherford – Charter Division – A number of charter contracts from different operators expire July 1 so delegates from different schools are meeting to try to come up with joint demands.    The Charter Division will conduct a rally at the CPS headquarters, 42 W. Washington, on May 17 starting at 4:30 p.m. and all CTU members are asked to join in.

E.  Stacy Davis Gates - Vice President – Stacy lauded the enthusiasm and activism of the charter division.  Then she spent some time, along with Debby Pope, honoring the memory of Helen Ramirez-Odell who died a few weeks ago.  I worked with Helen on the Retired Members Standing Committee, she had been in the House of Delegates for decades, was actively involved in the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and was named Woman of the Year by the CFL a few years ago.  Regarding internal Union politics, Helen and I disagreed but I have no doubt she had the best interests of the membership in her heart.  She will be missed.

Stacy said the CTU is conducting a mental health members survey and urged all to participate in it.  The past few years have been more stressful than normal and she said we have to take care or ourselves first if we expect to do a decent job in the schools.

Lastly, Stacy said the CPS is very slow in providing data regarding COVID cases, vaccination rates, vaccination projects in the schools and so on but the CTU is working to try to collect and organize the information so we have a better understanding of what is going on and can take action on it if necessary.

II. President’s Report

Pres. Sharkey reported the CPS is developing employment opportunities for Union members to make up for the lost four days of pay due to the CPS lockout a few months ago.  However, the CPS will NOT call it make up pay.  Details are not yet available.

Jesse said that individual school budgets for the coming year are out with increases in 60% of the schools but reductions in 40% of the schools.  The final overall budget for the entire system will have to be approved by August so there is time to push for changes.  He added that the CPS has $4 billion in federal funds that they have not yet spent

III. Items for Action

The CTU will conduct its traditional debate between candidates for president and vice president on May 5.  This time it will be a hybrid event with some people being present in the Union main hall and others viewing it on-line.  If one wants to see it one must register in advance.    One delegate, Lisa Zoccoli, asked if there would be equal amounts of attendees from the three caucuses.  Jesse said that can’t be dome as there is no way to determine if an audience member belongs to a caucus, if any.

Natasha Carlson proposed an amendment to have another similar debate a week later between the candidates for recording and financial secretaries.  Jackson Potter opposed this as did Stacy Davis Gates who questioned the impact this might have on precedence.  A Citywide delegate, Emily Penn, favored the amendment and was surprised we haven’t had these extra debates sooner.  Kim Tooney (sp?) of Ravenswood opposed it as did Cristen Chapman from Hancock School.  Someone questioned the additional costs of extra debates.  Joe Linehan from Eberhart School favored it.  A motion to extend debate failed 85-15%.  The proposed amendment failed in a rather close vote, 54-46%.  I voted in favor of the amendment.

IV. Committee Reports

A.  Political/Legislative – Kurt Hilgendorf.  Kurt reported from Springfield that the bill to restore sick days to those who missed work due to COVID for themselves or their families has now become law.  To get any sick days restored faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated by mid May.

The bill to restrict testing of students in grade K-3 has passed and is awaiting the Governor’s signature.

Retirees who wish to sub USED to be restricted to subbing 100 days per year without jeopardizing their pensions.  Due to the growing lack of available subs (now called guest teachers) that number was increased to 120 days.  Now, for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 school years one may be a guest teacher 140 days.

Additionally, again to the teacher shortage, a bill (HB 4246) would reduce the $500 fee to renew a lapsed teaching license to $50.

Lastly, SB 3663 would reduce the number of hours of professional development by 20% for all whose license is up for renewal this year.

B.  Grievance – Kevin Hough – Contact tracing pay should be in checks this pay period.

Kevin also reported that school Safety Committees are to be getting automated data links from the CPS.

Every school will have the opportunity to vote on which of the possible proposed school schedules they would want for the coming school year.

The Joint Staffing Committee has additional funds to help pay for staffing problems in schools; $5 million more for CADRE guest teachers and $2 million more for incentives for regular guest teachers.

The CTU won drivers education pay for those teachers for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 school years.

At Chopin School teachers noticed increasing occurrences of black “soot” in the building but the CPS investigation found that it is not a problem.  But the school faculty and staff filed an OSHA complaint that the CTU won and now there will be a federally mandated air quality investigation.

Georgia Waller announced Wendy Williams from Lozano and Breina Washington at Poe school as the CTU’s guest teachers of the month.

C. Organizing – Rebecca Martinez.  The CTU will be holding its 11th annual Organizing Institute that be over three weeks in the summer and over four Saturdays in the fall.  There is a stipend and gas mileage reimbursement.  One must to apply for the Institute by April 22.  It will mostly by in-person

V. New Business/Question and Answers

Christel Williams Hayes submitted a resolution to have the CTU support Technology Coordinatiors.  Pres. Sharkey submitted it to the Executive Board for consideration but Christel challenged that decision.  The house voted to support Christel, 52-48%.

However, something came up in my home and I, at 7:04 p.m., I had to leave the meeting before it officially was adjourned.