Hello,

We want to personally let you know what’s happening in Chicago, and ask for your help and solidarity.

The Chicago Teachers Union, AFT Local 1, is in contract negotiations, with its core demands that the city fund our future and invest in the needs of students. So is SEIU Local 73, the union that represents some Chicago public school support staff. We’re joining our colleagues in Chicago today for a rally. Most important, if they don’t have a contract by Thursday, Oct. 17, they’ll go on strike.

Educators and school support staff want what students need. They want schools staffed with nurses, librarians and counselors, and they want the other resources needed to ensure that students are cared for. They want protections for students so that they can learn in a safe, welcoming environment free from fear. They want smaller class sizes, so they can give students more attention and assistance.

But year after year, these resources never come. Chicago can invest in its business districts, but the promised school staff increases never materialize. That’s why the CTU has been asking to #PutItInWriting.

Decades of disinvestment in public schools have led us to this tipping point, where educators are being asked to do so much more—they’re the first responders to nearly everything their students are facing—with so many fewer resources. Without past promises incorporated into the contract, Chicago educators have had no guarantee of those crucial resources.

That’s why we’re asking Mayor Lori Lightfoot to step up to the plate, and to put her promises for Chicago students and educators into the Chicago Teachers Union contract. Click here and write to her to tell her: Settle a fair contract with CTU Local 1 and SEIU 73 that meets the needs of students and the staff who educate them so we can avoid a strike.

This contract is about justice, equity and fairness. It’s about building a stronger Chicago for all. It’s about wraparound services and a commitment to protect the 20 community schools previously negotiated in the city. It means social workers to help students with trauma and stress. It’s about support for bilingual and special education so that every kid gets a great education. It’s about class-size caps, so one teacher isn’t responsible for 40 kids. It’s about a dedicated teacher pipeline to make sure we’re recruiting and retaining good teachers. It’s about a nurse, social worker and librarian in every school community, so educators have the freedom to teach and give kids the attention they need.

These are commonsense demands that would benefit our students, our educators and our community. That’s why we want Lightfoot to put them in writing and guarantee them in the contracts of CTU Local 1 and SEIU 73. Click here to write to her and tell her to keep her promises and avoid a strike.

We’ve seen before how solidarity can win better schools for students and staff. Our brothers and sisters at Chicago’s Acero Schools and Chicago International Charter School set the example. Now it’s our turn. Together, we can build a stronger Chicago.

In unity,
Randi Weingarten
American Federation of Teachers President

Jesse Sharkey
Chicago Teachers Union President