Teachers go on strike in bitter contract dispute

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http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC120911-0000101/Chicago-teachers-go-on-strike-in-bitter-contract-dispute

Teachers in Chicago walked out of the classroom, taking a bitter contract dispute over evaluations and job security to the streets of the United States' third-largest city - and to a national audience - less than a week after most schools opened for fall.

The walkout yesterday forced hundreds of thousands of parents to scramble for a place to send idle children and created an unwelcome political distraction for Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

In a year when labour unions have been losing ground nationwide, the implications are sure to extend far beyond Chicago, particularly for districts engaged in similar debates.

The two sides resumed negotiations yesterday but failed to reach a settlement, meaning the strike will extend into at least a second day.

The union had vowed to strike yesterday if there was no agreement on a new contract, even though the district had offered a 16-per-cent raise over four years and the two sides had essentially agreed on a longer school day.

With an average annual salary of US$76,000 (S$93,913), Chicago teachers are among the highest-paid in the nation, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.

But negotiators are still divided on job security measures and a system for evaluating teachers that hinged in part on students' standardised test scores.

For one teacher, Kimberly Crawford, she said she was most concerned about issues such as class size and the lack of air conditioning.

"It's not just about the raise," she said. "I've worked without a raise for two years."