Lynch: ‘There will be no multiyear contract unless our bargaining rights are restored’

By Tom Sharp

On Monday morning, January 6th, Debbie Lynch responded to a Substance request for a phone interview to get her views on upcoming negotiations between the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Board of Education on the new teachers contract. The current contract is due to expire on June 30, 2003.

Last month Substance asked more than 50 Chicago public school teachers what they viewed as the major contract issues and if they would be willing to strike to get them. The teachers emphasized class size, pay and health benefits as the major issues. All but two of the respondents said they would definitely be willing to strike to get their contract demands.

Substance: Have contract negotiations been officially opened yet?

Lynch: No. We’re waiting for the veto session of the State Legislature that runs today and tomorrow [January 6th and 7th]. We’re trying to get our bargaining rights restored

[Specifically the union is asking for a repeal of that part of the “4.5” legislation which took away virtually all negotiating rights from the Chicago Teachers Union while letting all other teachers unions retain their bargaining rights. This was part of a bill that put the Mayor of Chicago in charge of the Chicago Public Schools. Democrats who originally supported the bill now are in favor of restoring some of the teachers’ bargaining rights. But Pate Philip and other influential Republicans are opposed to any changes.]

If we fail in the veto session, we will immediately appeal to the new legislature, which convenes on January 8th. However, it will be March before any actions passed by the new Legislature can be enacted. That would put us in a bind because the contract runs out on June 30th.

Substance: I have personally interviewed more than 50 Chicago teachers to get their views of what the major contract issues are and to see if they would be willing to strike to get them. These demands include a sizable pay raise, reduced class size, and an improved benefits package. Are you aware that an overwhelming majority of teachers said they would strike to have their demands met?”

Lynch: I’ve personally visited more than 100 Chicago public schools in the last 14 months and the first question I’m always asked is: “How much of a raise are we going to get?” So, I know what’s on the teachers’ minds. We’re not looking for a strike and all I can say is that we will bargain in good faith. Pay, class size and benefits are all important issues but everyone should keep in mind that every decrease of one student in class size costs the equivalent of a one percent raise for teachers; so there has to be some give and take here. The one message that is clear and was passed by an overwhelming majority by the CTU House of Delegates is that there will be no multiyear contract unless our bargaining rights are restored.

Substance: Four years ago the current teachers union contract was negotiated under very contentious circumstances by Tom Reece. The voting results showed a great difference between elementary teachers who, according to official vote tallies, supported the contract and high school teachers, the majority of whom voted against the contract. Do you see the teachers of both elementary and high schools coming together during the current negotiations or are there still big differences between them?

Lynch: I don’t see any major differences among teachers. Perhaps there is some concern by the high school teachers that the contract may not address all the issues they want covered, but you can’t get everything.

Substance: Who do you expect to negotiate with? Do you expect the mayor to play a direct role in the contract negotiations?

Lynch: The mayor won’t be at the negotiating table. He will send a representative. I expect to see the same group we negotiated the collective bargaining changes with—there will be representatives from the Mayor’s Office and the Board of Education.

Substance: Thank you and good luck!