Illinois Republicans aim to further cripple Chicago Teachers Union

[proud2BlibKansan]

The Chicago Board of Education is trying to get legislation (HB 5596) introduced by Illinois State Republican House representatives to allow the school board to to reopen the Chicago Teachers Union contract without the agreement of the union.

The bill seeks to prohibit any educational employee from going on strike during the time when the contract would be opened by the school board because it does not want to fulfill the contractual agreement for salary increases. In addition to the prohibition on striking when the employer breaks the contract for not wanting to pay the negotiated pay raises, there would be significant penalties for striking: the exclusive bargaining agent shall be removed and declared ineligible for representation for 2 years; employer cannot deduct dues for the exclusive bargaining agent for 2 years; fines may be imposed on the bargaining rep and officers.

The pending legislation is even more of an attack on the Chicago Teachers Union than was the Amendatory Act of 1995, which gave Mayor Richard M. Daley dictatorial control over Chicago's schools and barred the Chicago Teachers Union and the Cook County College Teachers Union from several traditional rights. The 1995 legislation was supported by Daley, a large number of Democrats and most Republicans, including then governor Jim Edgar. After it was signed into law, the myth was created that Daley had courageously offered to take over the failing Chicago school system, when in fact that provisions of the 1995 law, including the abolition of the Chicago School Finance Authority and the release of hundreds of millions of dollars in additional money to Chicago's schools, made Daley's first years in power over the schools a walk in the park, when compared with the tight-fisted approach to the schools during the previous 15 years (following the school financial crisis of 1979 - 1982).

HB5562 was filled on February 8, 2010 by Illinois House Republican Leader, Tom Cross, of the 84th congressional District in Plainfield, Illinois. Representative Michael W. Tryon (R), of the 64th District from Crystal Lake, Illinois, was the Chief Co-Sponsor of the bill.

more . . . http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1272§ion=Article

[Turbineguy]

1. How very republican

Kick people when they're down.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Certainly isn't what's best for kids

[Turbineguy]

3. We all know they only care about kids

until they are born. Then they become free agents with free wills able to participate in the free market.

[Catshrink]

4. Fetus first!

Children not so much.

[Catshrink]

5. If they get away with this

no union contract is safe from tampering with so what good are they? I hope the new NLRB guy Becker will deal with this promptly.

[madrchsod]

6. plainfield and crystal lake...

republican hellholes.....they do`t give a shit about chicago schools it`s their own schools they are worried about. seems moving to the burbs did`t solve their problems....

[KharmaTrain]

7. Posturing...That's All

The Illinois GOOP has no power in passing any legislation. They're in the minority in both state houses, but this stunt is aimed at squeezing cash from their coven. I'm grateful these shitstains were exiled about a decade ago and haven't been able to make things worse than what they ae.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Keeping my fingers crossed

for kids in Chicago!

[Nikki Stone1]

9. Please remember that this is where Obama and Arne Duncan are from.

This is what they have planned for the rest of us.

[Catshrink]

10. They want us to be $8/hr day care workers

with no benefits and compete to keep our jobs.

[Dinger]

11. Yup (nt)

[Nikki Stone1]

12. That's exactly right.

The difference will go to hedge funds.

At this point we know all this. Where is the organized effort to which we can send money?

[Catshrink]

13. What are our unions doing?

They need to be countering the media on the bogus claim that "teachers don't want accountability" and explain the issues. It's simple: Education is the whipping boy for the problems of society. Fix poverty & unemployment, get parents involved, and education outcomes will improve. The Chicago "Miracle" of Arne Duncan showed no differences in outcomes, we're heading down a path toward privatization. The union folks need to get on TV, get on Rachel & Keith and others - people who will listen. Start a groundswell of awareness. Right now, the only ones being heard are the union bashers and privatizers.

[Nikki Stone1]

14. I think the unions are not doing all they can and they SHOULD be

I wonder how compromised the leadership is.

[tonysam]

15. Probably plenty.

I mean my union's executive director in Nevada wasn't above taking a bribe in the form of a job working for human resources so as to help a negligent principal and not help me.

It's called corruption, but it's SOP.

[Nikki Stone1]

16. In that case, with something this large, the big leadership has been bought off

That is why the teachers are defenseless.

[Hannah Bell]

17. I think there's some evidence that's the case. I'm too tired to go back & find it,

but I noticed a couple of stories about top tier leadership that gave that appearance.

It seems pretty obvious that the union response has been pretty much confined to "strong statements" in the face of the biggest threat to its membership in decades.

If the rank & file don't get a clue & push back, I don't expect much from the so-called "leadership".