The Chicago Teachers Union's House of Delegates met Tuesday afternoon and
voted to suspend the strike that began last Monday, after having taken the past two days to discuss a tentative deal with the teachers they represent. Chicago Public Schools will reopen Wednesday, after:
Delegate Mike Bochner said “an overwhelming majority” voted to suspend the strike.
“I’m really excited, I’m really relieved,” said Bochner, a teacher at Cesar Chavez elementary.
It was standing room only inside Operating Engineers hall at Cermak and Grove for the 3 p.m. meeting.
Hoots, hollers, applause and what sounded like a cowbell erupted multiple times from inside.
Teachers had been fighting for, and have a tentative deal that makes significant gains on, classroom conditions and school staffing, as well as securing a teacher evaluation system less based on standardized test scores than Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his school board had been pushing for and defeating merit pay (an idea that's a proven failure yet continues rising, zombie-like).
The House of Delegates having suspended the strike, the tentative deal now goes to the union's membership for a vote.
