Dive Brief:
- Teachers in Chicago’s UNO Charter School Network voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike Thursday night, and their Oct. 19 walkout could be the first labor strike at a charter school in the United States.
- In announcing the vote, UNO union leaders said 508 out of 532 members — 96% — voted in favor of the strike after seven months of negotiations between the 16-school charter school network and its management.
- Sticking points in the contract include a plan to revise step salary schedules and eliminate teachers’ cost of living increases for two years, as well as potential increases in pension payments by teachers and a proposal to reopen contract negotiations if the network faces future funding cuts.
Dive Insight:
Most charter schools in the country are not unionized and charter operators often benefit from offering lower average pay. The UNO strike could be historic and empower other charter school teachers to fight harder for a union. When Chicago Public Schools teachers went on strike in 2012, it contributed to a wave of strikes throughout Illinois and across the country as teachers capitalized on each others’ momentum.
The Chicago Public Schools teachers have also voted to strike, threatening a repeat of the 2012 action. Their walkout date is scheduled for Oct. 11. A key element of the union’s 2012 success was widespread support among families and local communities, which eroded the longer the strike wore on.