March 24--The Chicago Teachers Union's governing body approved a plan Wednesday to shut down the city's schools with a one-day walkout April 1.
Union leaders called the walkout to bring attention to its differences with the district in contract talks and to push for a new funding plan for the city's schools.
The walkout is sure to draw a challenge from Chicago Public Schools administrators who have already said it would be illegal because it isn't in line with the state-mandated process for a teachers strike.
CTU leaders say a district effort to withhold pay raises awarded according to teachers' based on education and experience gives the union legal authority to walk off the job.
The walkout would shut down schools for the second Friday in a row. CPS set this Friday as one of three unpaid furlough days of teachers, which was one of the issues that precipitated the union's call for a "Day of Action" on April 1 that is to include a downtown demonstration.
CTU President Karen Lewis earlier acknowledged the call for a walkout was met with skepticism from some union members. During a Monday conference call, CTU's leaders faced hard questions from members opposed to the plan, while other members voiced their support.
CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey told members that a judge would ultimately rule on the legality of the union's move. He discouraged members from calling in sick April 1.
Lewis, who is preparing her re-election bid, sought to reassure members concerned about the legality of a walkout.
"What are they going to do, arrest us all? Put us all in jail? There's not 27,000 spaces in the Cook County Jail right now," Lewis told members Monday. "The whole key is, we all go out together, we go back in together. It is united, it is union, it is as one. That is what's really important."
jjperez@tribpub.com
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