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September 28, 2016 
By Steven Wishnia and Neal Tepel
Chicago, IL – The Chicago Teachers Union has voted overwhelmingly to authorize its leaders to call a strike, the union announced Sept. 26. About 95% of its members who signed ballots last week approved a possible walkout, well over the 75% of total membership legally required.
“This should come as no surprise to the board, the mayor, or parents, because educators have been angry about the school-based cuts that have hurt special-education students, reduced librarians, counselors, social workers, and teachers’ aides, and eliminated thousands of teaching positions,” the CTU said in a statement. The city’s public-school teachers have been working under an expired contract since June 2015. Further negotiations are scheduled for later this week, and the union’s board will also decide whether to give the state notice that a walkout might begin in 10 days. The CTU said “the first possible date for a teachers strike” would be Oct. 11. Read more
