Verified Document

Collective Bargaining In Chicago Term Paper

Collective Bargaining Underlying Causes Of The Dispute

On September 10, 2012, the 26,500 members of the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike, and this strike was not specifically related to the teachers' demand for higher wages, but rather it was based mainly on teacher evaluations. Teachers objected to the district basing the pay of teachers on standardized tests that reflect student achievement (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Placing "…too much emphasis on standardized test scores…diminishes children's education and punishes teachers unfairly," said Stephanie Gadlin, a spokesperson for the Chicago Teachers' Union (Liebelson, 2012). There were other issues too that sent teachers into the streets for 8 days until September 18. One additional important issue was related to the school district's plan to take more out of teachers' paychecks to cover health insurance costs; the teachers wanted to maintain "existing benefits and sick days without increasing the contribution rate" (Liebelson, 2012).

Another issue that caused the strike was that the teachers objected to the district removing the previously agreed-upon (through collective bargaining) plan that gives teachers automatic pay raises based on years of service (bls.gov). A total of 350,000 students in Chicago got a week's vacation from school while the strike was on; and in the meantime the teachers picketed in the streets demanding these additional changes: a) more teaching training; b) a timetable for when the district would install air conditioning in student classrooms; and c) a "fair recall procedure for laid off teachers and fair compensation for a longer school year" (Liebelson, p. 3).

The Chicago School District made an offer during collective bargaining that officials with the district called a "fair and reasonable deal"; that deal included a 16% increase in teachers' salaries (which would have cost the district $320 million over the next four years), security for laid off teachers, and paid maternity leave; but the teachers rejected that initial proposal (Liebelson, p. 3).

What economic or ethical pressures did both sides use?

The economic impact / pressure by the teachers union was dramatic; when you...

Moreover, the school district was already facing a "$1 billion budget deficit" for the year 2013, and that fact put pressure on both sides to come to a collective bargaining agreement (Davey, et al., 2012). Asking the city's school bureaucracy to increase salaries at a time when the average teacher was earning $76,000
As to the rhetoric (in which both sides attempted to use ethical issues) Mayor Rahm Emanuel "…bluntly accused teachers of valuing their pocketbooks over the futures of thousands of schoolchildren"; but union leaders "blasted the mayor as a bully trying to intimidate them into a bad deal" (Pearson, 2012). On Sunday, September 14, a tentative deal was indeed reached but the teachers union decided to forge again with the strike because the deal wasn't what they were hoping for. At that, Mayor Emanuel "…went before reporters to vow court action to force teachers back to work."

In response to that, the teachers union accused the mayor of "…trying to limit their rights to read the newly settled contract"; a judge refused to hear Emanuel's request for a court order (Pearson, p. 3).

One of the things that Emanuel and the school district was trying to do was to force an injunction to end the strike; that is, in Illinois there is a law that "bars teachers from striking over noneconomic issues" (Davey, p. 3). In fact there was a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday, the 18th of September, and when a vote of the teachers was reached on the 17th, the union agreed to go back to work, which in effect cancelled the court hearing.

Where there any illegal or unethical behaviors?

No illegal or unethical activities on the part of either side were reported in the press. Perhaps that was because it was a teacher's strike, and teachers -- even when they use their clout as a union -- have a great amount of respect in the media and in communities.

The results of collective bargaining -- the resolution of major issues

How did the teachers do overall in…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Davey, M., and Yaccino, S. (2012). Teachers End Chicago Strike on Second Try. The

New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2015, from http://nytimes.com.

Liebelson, D. (2012). What Happened With the Chicago Teacher Strike, Explained. Mother Jones. Retrieved January 2, 2015, from http://www.motherjoines.com.

Pearson, M. (2012). Wins, losses and draws in Chicago school strike. CNN. Retrieved
January 2, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). Profiles of significant collective bargaining disputes of 2012. Monthly Labor Review. Retrieved January 2, 2015, from http://www.bls.gov.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Collective Bargaining Is the Process
Words: 2319 Length: 8 Document Type: Thesis

Question Seven The process of administering a collective bargaining unit includes two primary tasks. The first of these is to negotiate the contract that determines the conditions to which both workers and managers have to agree. (This process is repeated whenever the contract has to be renegotiated: How long a contract is in place is determined at the time that each contract is finalized.) The second major function of the union and

Collective Bargaining Labor Relations in
Words: 2669 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Between 1907 and 1926, the unions made four separate attempts to secure uniform working rules, with great progress made during the period of federal control and operation from 1918 to 1920, during World War I. Over that time, wages and rules were established on a national basis, and though many of the pay rates and working condition rules were not renewed once government control ended, a precedent had been

Financial Analysis of International Airlines
Words: 5321 Length: 19 Document Type: Thesis

The company's promotional literature emphasizes the synergistic effects of this corporate structure: "IAG combines the two leading airlines in the UK and Spain, enabling them to enhance their presence in the aviation market while retaining their individual brands and current operations. The airlines' customers benefit from a larger combined network for both passengers and cargo and a greater ability to invest in new products and services through improved financial

Air Traffic Controller Representation: Pro-Or
Words: 1794 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

In this regard, Osorio adds that, "The strike put deregulation on hold, giving the airlines a respite from intense competition and more time to plan for the post-deregulation era" (2000, p. 114). The PATCO strike also severely hampered further governmental employee unionizing activities for decades (Osorio, 2000). Conclusion The research showed that in 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization engaged in an illegal strike for more money, better working conditions

Eo 10988
Words: 946 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Paper

Executive Order can be defined as "A presidential policy directive that implements or interprets a federal statute, a constitutional provision or a treaty." (Vosloo, 1966) The Congress gives the president powers to issue such executive orders though congressional approval is not required therefore giving the president a chance to avoid public debate and opposition in setting policy. Executive orders have been associated with routine matters of administration and internal operations

Rising Health Care Costs -
Words: 3279 Length: 11 Document Type: Term Paper

Because of these types of figures, it should come as no surprise that economists and others that analyze this type of issue are greatly interested in what type of role benefits play within the labor market. Utilizing a simple theory of the labor market indicates that employers are generally concerned regarding the level of total worker compensation as opposed to the division between the wages that they actually pay and

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now