Chicago Public Schools Cancelled Thursday Amid CTU Work Action

CHICAGO — Classes at city public schools are cancelled Thursday as the Chicago Teacher's Union stoppage of in-person learning continued for a second school day.

On Tuesday, 73-percent of CTU members voted in favor of protesting working conditions amid a spike in coronavirus cases with a "work action" that could last until Jan. 18.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez cancelled Thursday's classes districtwide. He said 10 percent of teachers showed up at schools Wednesday despite the CTU vote. Martinez said some schools could have enough staff to resume some form of in-person learning Friday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she would not let CTU "take our children hostage" or give in to CTU's demand that the district shift to remote learning.

“We will not relent. Enough is enough. We are standing firm and we are going to fight to get our kids back to in-person learning. Period. Full stop,” Lightfoot said at a Wednesday news conference.

Martinez said a districtwide move to remote learning is the wrong approach for handling coronavirus outbreaks in Illinois' largest school district. Rather, CPS officials have proposed dealing with outbreaks on a classroom-by-classroom and school-by-school basis.

The Sun-Times reported CTU President Jesse Sharkey told union members in a conference call that "serious bargaining" has started.

"I do not think the [Board of Education] wants to see this dispute drag on. And at the heart of it is the issue about how to respond to the current surge, which we think is dangerous,” Shakey was quoted as saying.