CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Chicago Teachers Union is proposing that Chicago Public Schools delay a return to in-person instruction until all employees have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and for the union and district to reach an agreement on extending the school year.
In the meantime, the union is proposing that CPS could allow in-person learning by pairing staff who voluntarily choose to return to school buildings with students who also want to return, the Tribune reported.
CPS officials have not responded to a Tribune inquiry about the proposal.
The proposal comes after CPS officials said they plan to still move forward with their return to classroom plans, despite that more than half of teachers expected back did not return to school buildings on Monday.
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CTU President Jesse Sharkey said the union has not dropped its demand to use the COVID-19 positivity rate to guide reopening decisions, but he also expressed a desire to reach a compromise.
“Our union is trying hard to treat bargaining seriously right now,” Sharkey said Wednesday. “...We view this as a crisis for our members, and this new offer is a signal that we take the table seriously and we are seeking to negotiate a settlement here.”
A “delay, vaccinate and extend” approach would allow the district to provide more in-person instruction this school year, he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Pritzker announced Wednesday guidelines for the the next stage of COVID-19 vaccine distribution across Illinois, which includes seniors 65 years and older and “frontline essential workers." He said frontline essential workers include teachers, support staff, and child care workers.
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