Froy Jimenez

CTU Covid Remote Action Impacts Teacher Endorsement in Upcoming Election

By Jim Vail

Hancock Teacher Froy Jimenez is running for 11th Ward Alderman. 

*Correction: This updated version reflects changes in certain words to describe Froylan Jimenez's decision.

When Mary Usterbowski made a motion at the December House of Delegates Meeting for Froy Jimenez to be endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union for Alderman, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said no because he went back into the school when we voted to stay out during Covid. 

But the next day the CTU Political Action Committee called Jimenez to ask if he would like to be interviewed for a possible endorsement.

"After the December HOD, Hilario Dominguez, with CTU PAC reached out to me to ask me if I wanted an interview with CTU PAC Committee," Jimenez told Second City Teachers. "I agreed and since meeting in December was last minute, he agreed to call me in January with more meeting dates for scheduling."

Crossing a picket line is considered an act of treason in the world of unions. The CTU made a decision to only teach remote because of safety concerns with Covid-19 still raging two years ago. Some teachers like Jimenez decided to not honor the union's collective action and instead went into their school buildings to teach.

Jimenez defended his decision to not teach remote. He said he has always honored CTU strikes in the past, and even served as a strike coordinator, but this time was different.

"The last time all CTU union rank-file members were asked to vote was specifically on 'whether we should teach remotely' after winter break safety negotiations," Jimenez wrote in an email. "It's disingenuous to call that vote on teaching remotely, a vote to go on STRIKE and it unfairly conflates two different circumstances."

One high school delegate who wished to remain anonymous said the January action was not planned as a Strike, but effectively turned into one. 

"We did vote for it, and so if he crossed, he was breaking union discipline."

Jimenez said the union action to only teach remote was poorly executed and put CTU members and CPS parents in a "huge bind", resulting in a large pay loss for CTU members and "only a couple of K95 masks in return" while hundreds of clerks and other CTU members were forced to come in.

"January's action was quite messy for reasons brother Froy points out," the delegate said, "but I still think crossing that picket line is a bad look."

Froy Jimenez and the CTU leadership have had a tenuous relationship. He was furious when the CTU revoked a PAC decision to endorse his first run for state senator in order to not upset the incumbent who had ties to the Chicago Machine. The CTU Executive Board chose to follow political recommendation of the leadership and stayed neutral in the race. 

One thing the CTU likes is a winner. Jimenez served as chief of staff to Congressman Chuy Garcia before he was endorsed for Mayor against Rahm Emanuel. He earned over 40 percent of the vote in his first run for state senator, but was knocked out of the recent race after his signatures were challenged by his opponent.

Jimenez is running for the 11th Ward Alderman against the incumbent Nicole Lee who was appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. They both supported building a high school in Chinatown, which the CTU and others were against because it will be built on public housing land.

Froy said he's a big proponent of expanding trade schools in Chicago's high schools so they will have union jobs and less college debt. He noted that Dunbar High School is the only current city high school that offers a comprehensive citywide trades program which includes general construction, carpentry, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), welding and electricity. He said he would expand the "Construction Trades Campus" at Dunbar to other areas of the city where there is low enrollment. He said the Board of Ed should plan a CPS campus for a proposed Discovery Partners Institute that would be dedicated to teaching STEM students.

Jimenez is against using TIF (Tax Increment Financing) money for a Red Line Train extension that his opponent supports. 

"I'm against the Red line TIF that drains our tax dollars without helping our local economy," Jimenez said. "I also want to hold the Cook County State Attorney's office accountable for prosecuting criminal activity in our area."

Froy said he was upset that CPS delayed responding to the lead contamination safeguards at McClellan Elementary School and said each CPS school should have testing for lead exposure which should in turn be coordinated and publicized by the school administrators and Local School Council and safety courses in lead exposure should be available as part of professional development.

Jimenez is a civics teacher at Hancock High School.