Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey (center, right) and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates (center, left) march with members of the CTU and SEIU Local 73 through the Loop after a rally, three days before the unions could walk off the job on strike, Monday afternoon, Oct. 14, 2019. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
CHICAGO (AP) — More than 300,000 public school students in Chicago are getting another day off as contract talks continue between the teachers’ union and the nation’s third-largest school district.
Chicago Public Schools announced Sunday night that classes and after school activities are canceled Monday as the strike enters its first full week. The work stoppage began on Thursday.
The Chicago Teachers Union, which has 25,000 members, is demanding smaller class sizes and more resources for schools in the negotiations. It’s the first major walkout by the teachers since 2012.
In a letter to parents Sunday, CPS said it’s “committed to working around the clock” in order to finalize a deal with the union. Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the district has not received “full, written” counteroffers from the union on class size or school staffing.
