Ahead of CPS contract negotiations, teachers union President Stacy Davis Gates invites civic leaders’ engagement

As the Chicago Teachers Union prepares to vote on a proposal that will commence contract negotiations with Chicago Public Schools, President Stacy Davis Gates previewed the union’s “defiant vision” of transformative change, before a sold-out City Club of Chicago crowd Tuesday.

“We’re not gonna fight for the schools Chicago Public Schools students deserve. We’re gonna give it to them,” she said. Pending union delegates’ approval in a vote on a draft contract proposal to be sent to CPS Wednesday, Davis Gates hinted at likely union demands: A librarian and restorative justice coordinator in every school. “Less onerous” teacher evaluations. Adjustments to health care in the interest of reproductive justice. Expanded community schools and special education programs.

The head of the 30,000-strong union also extended an invite that may have come as a surprise in a room packed with leaders from the public, private and non-profit — including charter school operators — sectors. With the CTU’s contract expiring in June, Davis Gates encouraged audience members who may be wary of the teachers’ demands, to engage in good faith with the union’s forthcoming proposal.

“We are asking you to join us and give us an opportunity to tell our story,” Davis Gates said, adding that union members are fellow city residents who live next door to their often vocal critics. “They educate your children, they love on your children, they advocate for your children. They’ve worked very hard to meet the needs of children in their school communities and in the city,” she said. “It’s hard for them because people don’t prioritize their expertise.”

The collective bargaining agreement provides an opportunity to engage in a process that can ensure students get what they deserve, Davis Gates said, adding that the teachers union and business community aren’t without common ground. “You want companies to be comfortable relocating here. You want families to see Chicago as a destination — that’s where we agree,” she said.

“We want to do this out loud with y’all,” Davis Gates said, encouraging the audience to engage in a participatory and transparent bargaining process that CTU hopes to launch. “We will disagree, but that’s not a dealbreaker — it’s a disagreement,” she said of those who may not support the teachers’ demands – but are committed to supporting students. For bargaining sessions to become public, Davis-Gates added that CPS must also approve.

In an emailed statement Tuesday, a district spokesperson said CPS values its teachers, who work “day in and day out to provide a high-quality and well-rounded education to more than 322,000 CPS students.”

With a nearly $400 million structural deficit looming, CPS also hinted that compromise may be necessary. “The district looks forward to negotiating a fair contract that balances both the interests of the district’s hard-working educators and our duty to be fiscally responsible,” CPS said. CPS also noted that, as in past contracts, CEO Pedro Martinez will not be part of the bargaining team, but rather authorize district leaders to oversee CPS’ negotiation responsibilities.

At City Club Tuesday, the CTU president also offered a caveat in regards to the expanded or reformed supports and services for students and teachers that the union will be seeking.

“We’re gonna get those schools (students deserve) but we’re not gonna get them tomorrow,” Davis Gates said, because the city is “light years behind the justice and equity” people are owed.

On the one hand, Mayor Brandon Johnson has ushered in an era of positive change, she said, citing legislation passed during his administration that’s ensured workers paid time off and abolished sub-minimum wages.

But, CPS remains around $1.4 billion shy of the funding the state has determined it needs. And, Davis Gates added, “Brandon Johnson is not going to force every bureaucrat in CPS” to concede on CTU demands, given a range of ideologies, experiences and professional practices among district leaders. Replacing school resource officers with an equivalent investment in restorative justice coordinators won’t be a given, Davis Gates said, for example. “We don’t just rely on (City Hall). …That’s going to take work, a redirection of resources, patience and practice, reflection and revision,” she said.

As the union attempts to leverage its collective bargaining for the public good, she said to expect debate to “get a little hot in this city for the next few months,” and encouraged business leaders’ participation in seeking solutions to increase CPS funding.

Davis Gates said all avenues should be pursued, at the state, federal and local levels. In particular, she noted that a planned shift by the city from tax increment financing funds to other financial investment instruments, could facilitate the redistribution of billions and, potentially, increased revenue for schools.

“What we are asking you for is what your kids need,” she said. The teachers’ demands being met would result in a library and librarian in every school, the construction of green schools, and providing homes to at least 17,000 primarily Black students without them, she said.

“It will mean that we will begin this monumental task (of meeting students’ unmet needs), this mountain of work. We can stand at the foot and begin to work our way up,” Davis Gates said.