CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Teachers Union leadership on Wednesday formally directed members go on strike Thursday after negotiators failed to reach a contract agreement with the Chicago Board of Education.
The move came hours after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who appoints school board members, pre-emptively declared there would be no classes on Thursday. Oct. 17 was the date the CTU said members would strike, barring an agreement, and prospects for a deal appeared bleak.
Some 25,000 teachers are expected to participate in the work stoppage, which affects 360,000 students in the nation's third-largest public school system. The CTU last went on strike in 2012 during Mayor Rahm Emanuel's first term.
"We want to make this a short strike, we want to make this a strike that wins improvements for our schools, wins dignity and respect for our teachers," CTU President Jesse Sharkey said Wednesday evening.
Negotiations -- which have been over pay and benefits, class size and teacher preparation time, and other issues -- will continue, the mayor said.
Lightfoot insisted the school board has bargained in good faith and made a generous offer and several concessions to teachers. Sharkey said the mayor has failed to keep promises she made about city schools when she ran for mayor.
The Chicago Public Schools system will open its school buildings to children during the strike, as a way to make things easier on parents and families.
"While we will not be able to offer regular instruction during this time, we are going to ensure that all of our school buildings are open so that families have a safe place for students to spend the day, and also ensure that they have access to meals throughout the day," CPS CEO Janice Jackson said Wednesday.
"It is important to know that regular transportation will not be provided for students. And if students require medical attention, special education, or nursing support, the staff that regularly provides that support will not be available during the work stoppage," Jackson added. "We will, however, ensure that contract nurses are available to support students as needed."
Jackson said students will be able attend any school that serves the grade level that they are in; and while CPS encourages students attend the school that they are in, parents have the opportunity to take their child to any school that is grade-level appropriate.
CPS encourages parents to register on their website www.cps.edu/contingencyplan and although it is not mandatory, Jackson said it does help CPS plan better for students that will arrive at each school on Thursday.
In addition to CPS sites, the Chicago Public Libraries will be open, along with a limited number of parks sites, safe haven sites, and other community partners.
CTU and CPS officials were scheduled to enter the final day of negotiations Wednesday. CTU's bargaining team said Tuesday evening that a strike Thursday was "overwhelmingly certain" after negotiations failed to reach an agreement.
