No Official Response from CTU to Members
CORE: The Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators
CHICAGO — On March 12, 2010, CPS CEO Ron Huberman sent a memo to all CPS Principals stating that he is “prohibiting the distribution, circulation and exhibition of all union campaign material on school grounds”, including Union members’ mailboxes and a Union bulletin board under the guise that electoral campaign information is not “official Union business.”
As of the end of business day March 16, 2010, there was still no condemnation on the Chicago Teachers Union website or sent to CTU members.
CPS teacher Karen Lewis, CORE’s CTU Presidential candidate, stated that, “Ron Huberman needs to stay out of union business. How does providing information to teachers and support personnel on the upcoming CTU election – which will have far-reaching effects on their lives – interfere with teaching and learning? Marilyn Stewart, under the guise of ‘official union business’, is campaigning all over this city. It’s clear who Mr. Huberman supports. There is no neutrality here.”
“Huberman is going to do everything in his power to maintain business as usual – a CTU leadership that does not vigorously challenge CPS policy. This is a not only a breach of past practice, it is a clear violation of the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board prohibitions against Unfair Labor Practices. It’s also unconstitutional,” said Jackson Potter, CORE Co-chair.
The Preamble of the current CTU contract states that “a free and open exchange of views is desirable and necessary… [and] will increase the effectiveness of teachers … in the classroom and the community.” According to Lewis, “Our workplace conditions are our students’ learning conditions. If the free speech rights of teachers and paraprofessionals are not protected, we are powerless to demand our students’ rights to a full, equitable education.”
“The fact that this is codified in our contract indicates its importance. Perhaps Mr. Huberman should do his homework and read page one of our contract. And then, read the rest,” said Lewis.
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CORE is the reform caucus of the Chicago Teachers Union that represents rank-and-file members and the students and families they serve. The group is comprised of teachers, retired teachers and educational staff.
