Mayor Rahm Emanuel says students 'got the shaft' under labor deal: rescind teacher raises!

[Bluebear]

Chicago public school students "got the shaft" under a union contract that ensured labor peace and guaranteed teachers annual 4 percent raises, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday.

The remark came as Emanuel sought to frame the debate on his newly appointed Chicago Board of Education's vote Wednesday to take away the blanket raises...

Teachers union President Karen Lewis said Emanuel has always been aggressive.

"Why would this be any different? It's a very aggressive move and not unexpected," Lewis said of the decision to rescind the raise.


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-06-16/news/ct-met-rahm-emanuel-teacher-raises-20110616_1_mayor-rahm-emanuel-president-karen-lewis-labor-deal

[msongs]

1. looks he learned a lot in DC nt

[timtom]

19. No, he was the teacher. (n/t)

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. Grim. Grimmer.

Grimmest.

Increasingly there are two anti-union parties. It's getting pointless trying to find distinctions between them

[RandomThoughts]

3. That also has some same effects of the post in the thread posted below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9717444

[lob1]

4. The Koch Bros financing the DLC strikes again.

Once again I'm reminded what a scumbag Rahm is. Bought and paid for.

[Wilms]

5. ^

[Goblinmonger]

6. Pretty much reflects the White House stance on education, too.

Not surprising at all.

[hobbit709]

7. Tell me again why some people think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

[mod mom]

8. I wonder if the rahm apologists will defend his action

[msanthrope]

16. I did, downthread. post 15.

First of all, 75% of Chicago teachers will be getting raises. That factoid was not present in the OP, but is present is the OP's source.

Second of all, I happen to think that blanket raises are uncalled-for unless and until the CTU agrees to a longer school day.

This is disgraceful--

"Chicago would be the first major city in recent years to add substantial time to its school day, which currently clocks in at 5 hours 45 minutes for elementary schools and 6 hours for high schools. Chicago students spend 270 hours less in the classroom every year than students in New York City schools, or about 41 fewer days."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/us/17cncschools.html

Rahm was elected by the good, Democratic voters of Chicago on this platform. While you may not agree with his stance, it is undeniably a stance with the support of the voters.

[City Lights]

9. I cannot stand him.

He disgusts me.

[n2doc]

10. Because the best teacher is a broke teacher!

:sarcasm:

[fascisthunter]

11. Traitor

another rich punk with a huge ego...

[hifiguy]

12. Typical DLC neoliberal shitheel. nt.

[Bluebear]

13. +

[senseandsensibility]

14. quelle shocke

not!

[msanthrope]

15. Unrec for misleading OP--75% of teachers are still getting raises.

I note that your OP failed to include this paragraph from your source...

"The mayor also noted that he inherited a Chicago Public Schools deficit of more than $700 million from Mayor Richard Daley and that three-fourths of teachers will still get some kind of raise under the contract."


From another source...

Officials with the district and the unions are in the throes of hammering out dates to negotiate the board’s decision, allowed under a provision of the contract, to withhold the 4 percent salary increase in the teachers’ and other unions’ contracts as they confront a deficit now pegged at $712 million for the coming school year.

Three-quarters of district teachers still will receive raises owed for their years of experience and education levels, according to district estimates.

If the negotiations on the raise withdrawal fail, leaders of the teachers union may reopen the entire contract that is set to expire in June 2012. That could allow the district to hasten plans for a longer school day and extended academic year, though it also could raise the specter of a teachers strike.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cps-teachers-to-picket-meeting-over-raises-20110622,0,2382918.story


Frankly, I'm not sure why Chicago teachers should get any blanket raises until they agree to extend the school day. Is there any reason for blanket raises when you have this:

"Chicago would be the first major city in recent years to add substantial time to its school day, which currently clocks in at 5 hours 45 minutes for elementary schools and 6 hours for high schools. Chicago students spend 270 hours less in the classroom every year than students in New York City schools, or about 41 fewer days."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/us/17cncschools.html

[LooseWilly]

21. So teachers should, in your opinion, work what? an extra 20% hours for a 4% raise?

Despite cost of living increases meaning that the 4% amounts to... what?...

You know what... I suspect that the Chicago teachers are better off without the 4% raise and without the extra hours you'd saddle them with... and as long as they're looking at nickling and diming from EVERY SIDE, Dem and Rep, there's no reason to cooperate with anyone.

The notion that they should somehow feel grateful for the education and experience bonuses... as if they're a gift rather than something earned... is RIDICULOUS.

Maybe Chicago Unified should start hiring high school grads to teach high school... after all, they've MASTERED the skills of high school right?... why bother to look for college grads... especially if you aren't willing to pay them.

Let all the college grads go abroad to teach English so there will be enough Chinese, Indians, Indonesians, Mexicans, and... Surinamese (?) to cover all the US jobs that require a workforce that can be reported to INS if they get the silly idea of organizing...

[JVS]

17. Hmmm, so taking away those raises makes the kids better off?

[Bluebear]

18. Indeed.

[Citizen Worker]

20. Just a typical democrat of the current era. Would anyone like to talk about reforming the

democratic party? Or, would be better starting over with a new party?