Aug. HOD

Report on the meeting of the House of Delegates held on August 24, 2022

By George Milkowski

Note; The agenda format has changed with committee reports moving up to being made along with the officers’ reports instead of being towards the end of the meeting.

I. Officers’/Committee Reports

A.   Christel Williams- Hayes – Recording Secretary.  Chistel urged all delegates to contact PARAs in their schools and urge them to join the CTU if they are not members already.

B.  Rebecca Martinez – Organizing Director.  Rebecca went through a number of victories the CTU had in the past few months.  In every case getting contact and support with parents, local community groups and local politicians was key to our wins.  The CPS wanted to end a program for deaf and hard of hearing students at Cass School but backed off after resistance from teachers and parents.  CPS wanted to fire two teachers from Washington High for their activities opposing the re-location of a very polluting industry, General Iron, from a white neighborhood that is becoming more upscale to the southeast side that is mostly black and Hispanic.  CPS instead just gave them an insignificant slap on the wrist. The Board wanted to cut $1,000,000 from the budget at Zapata Elementary but backed off and the school only lost one position.

Rebecca conducted a quick poll to see what are the major current concerns of CPS members.  The poll showed that concerns over testing is first, followed by the need for more instructional staff, the need for more support staff, and improved school climate and more effective school administrations.

Rebecca also said we need to be aware of the importance of the upcoming 2022 contract talks for charter schools.  What they gain can be a precedent for us when our contract expires in a few years.  Also, there will be City government elections in 2023 and the first elections for an elected school board in 2024.

C.  Kathy Catalano – Financial Report.  Kathy reported that as of June 30, 2022, the end of our fiscal year, we have $870,561 more than what was budgeted.  Teacher investment in the Union, more commonly known as dues, are specified as being 1% of a Lane 1, Step 6 teachers salaries, and will be $1,242 for teachers this year.  PARAs dues are set at 60% of that, which will be $745.19.

D. Maria Moreno – Financial Secretary – Our membership is gone up to 28,141 and retiree membership has increased by 26 to 1,690.  Delegates are asked to approach new faculty and staff and ask them to join the CTU if they are not already members.

E.  Political/Legislative Committee – Kurt Hilgendorf.  In the June primary 9 of 11 CTU endorsed candidates won their election and two, Delia Ramirez and Jonathan Jackson, are definitely going to win in November and go to Congress.  Kurt said that contests in which progressive candidates faced off against moderates, the progressives won.

The 2023 municipal elections indicate that Mayor Lightfoot is in trouble and the CTU will be soon interviewing candidates for potential endorsement.

Lastly, Kurt said the annual Legislators Educators Appreciation Dinner, (L.E.A.D.) dinner will be September 30 at an outside venue.  This is a chance to meet with various legislators and inform them one on one of the problems we face daily in the schools.  A social hour will start at 4:30 p.m. and at 5:30 the dinner will begin.  Tickets are $50 per person.

F.  Jennifer Conant – Charter Division – Jennifer reminded everyone that what CTU’s charter Division can gain from the CPS will be a foretaste of what we can expect to gain when our current contract expires.  She said that greater wrap around services for students are needed.  She said one big goal is to have all charter schools bargain together for standardized contracts

G.  Jackson Potter - Vice President – Jackson’s remarks were very brief.  He referenced the importance of using the safety committees to deal with problems in schools regarding COVID.  He said every school will be getting 200 test kits and schools with more than 1,000 students will be getting an additional 200 on top of that.  Students who are ill can be tested and be forced to quarantine for five days if they are positive.

Jackson all said the CTU has a “We Care Coaching & Mentoring” program for 1st and 2nd year teachers who often feel isolated, burn out and quit teaching.

H.  Zeidre Foster – Grievance Committee.  Zeidre went over a few major wins that we had this summer.  Forty veteran teachers who were laid off were re-stated, received $45,000 and had 200 sick days returned to their bank.

At Lake View High the principal tried to control the definition of teachers using personal days but lost.

An arbitrator ruled in favor of class size Teacher Assistant members. They had been paid less for their work then what was due.

Zeidre announced the CPS has agreed to a pilot program that would expedite grievances that the Board has failed to respond to in the required timely manner.  It this works to remove the backlog of cases the program may be expanded.

Zeidre also stressed that need to keep the local school safety committee active especially now that there are concerns over Monkey Pox.

II. President’s Report

Pres. Stacy Davis-Gates first gave some of her time to a few other individuals. First, Georgia Waller said the CTU is again implementing a monthly recognition of Guest (a.k.a. substitute) teachers and asked delegates to make recommendations.

In a major win, lawyer Patrick Cowlin announced that a suit in federal court that started in 2012 has been won.  That year the CPS began closing underperforming “turnaround” schools and that resulted in 414 personnel, mostly people of color, losing their jobs.  The court found this to be discriminatory and just before the judge could issue a final ruling the Board agreed to pay $9,250,000 to those individuals who were hurt by their actions.

Stacy said negotiations over return to school safety protocols began ion July 1 and the tone of the CPS was much more positive resulting in the agreed to be voted on.

Lightfoot apparently has not changed her tone, though.  In a speech she said that the City does well when the schools do well, implying that if the schools aren’t doing well, it is our fault!

III. Items for Action

A.  Bea Lumpkin a CTU member was given a lifetime achievement award from the IFT and the CTU passed a resolution recognizing and honoring that.  (Note: I have known Bea for a number of years.  We work together on the Union’s Retired Members Standing Committee and also we are both involved in a steelworkers retire organization.  Bea turned 104 three weeks ago!!)

B.  The House approved a schedule for House meetings for the rest of the year.  Six of the remaining nine meetings will be in person while three of them, January , February, and March, will be via Zoom.  Some delegates are still concerned about the pandemic but the schedule was approved 61-39%.  I voted “yes”.

C.  The third item was to approve the Tentative Agreement with the CPS on the safety protocols for returning to work.  These were worked out in negotiations and recognize the changes suggested by the CDC.  Parts of the agreement include:

-Quarantine will no longer be required for those who have been exposed to people who tested positive

-Those who are positive must stay home for five days is sick and then may return to school if masked

-Masks are encouraged but not required

-Weekly COVID screening will be in all schools

-More money will be made available for subs in schools that have a harder time getting subs and a greater need for them. 

After some debate the House approved the plans 94-6%.  I voted “no”.  Now, the entire membership will be asked to approve it and they will do so in the next few days via computer.

IV. New Business/Question and Answers

Paul D’Addario complained that in trying to sign up a new member the on-line procedure insists that the new member also sign up as a contributor to the Union’s PAC Fund.  Stacy said that that is not required and the glitch will be corrected.

Ed Hershey (Lindbloom) asked that he be endorsed by the CTU as he has gathered enough legal signatures to be on the ballot to run for Congress in the 4th congressional district.  Stacy ruled him out of order and said he should contact Kurt Hilgendorf of the Political/Legislative Committee.

Frank MacDonald motioned to have the delegates’ stipends doubled. Stacy, like with Ed Hershey, ruled him out of order but she referred his proposal to the Policies Committee.

At that point a motion to adjourn passed 96-4%.  It was 7:30 p.m..