Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Thursday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

“It’s official: Chicago Public Schools teachers are going on strike. They . . . hit the picket lines outside schools across the city at 6:30 a.m. Thursday,” WTTW reports.
Geez, if I was a teacher on strike I’d sleep in. There’s no school!


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From the Trib:

CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates told reporters: “Negotiating in good faith means that we reach a settlement. If (Lightfoot) cannot land a deal with teachers then you have to question her role with the city.”

Um, I don’t think that’s what negotiating in good faith means. A settlement will be reached; that doesn’t mean good faith was had.
Also: “CPS Board President Miguel Del Valle said he believes the union ‘at this point has stopped bargaining in good faith.'”
You could hardly have a more progressive, teacher-friendly ally as school board president – appointed by the mayor – than Miguel Del Valle.
This isn’t the Rahm board of David Vitale or Frank Clark.
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As for the second part of Davis Gates’s statement, CTU leadership was badly embarrassed in the last mayoral campaign and they’re clearly still not over it. This strike is as much – if not only – about internal and external union politics as it is the issues remaining on the negotiating table, as we will see.
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To wit:

Lightfoot’s strategy, Davis Gates said, “is to take back everything that we have won in previous contracts and hand it back . . . We are holding her accountable.”

Hardly. Even the CTU isn’t disputing City Hall’s claim that this is the most generous contract ever offered to the city’s teachers. Nobody is “taking back” anything; the remaining negotiations are basically about how to manage what is being added – nurses, librarians and so forth – as well as whether the amount of prep time will increase and if teachers will be allowed to accrue paid sick days.
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Speaking of Stacy Davis-Gates, how does a puff piece like this get published, especially when she’s such a polarizing figure? I’ll hang up and listen to your answer.
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Recommended reading:


When you see what the remaining disagreements are, you find it hard to believe this couldn’t have been settled by now or could have been settled by remaining at the bargaining table this week and even over the weekend.
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True enough!
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Good piece, heartfelt.
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Interesting piece.
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Also:


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New on the Beachwood today . . .
John King’s Dog Whistle
“CNN anchor John King faced swift backlash Tuesday night for pondering on national television whether endorsements from progressive Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are ‘too far-left,’ ‘too urban,’ and ‘too internet‘ to help U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.”
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Recall! Chicago’s Favorite Gyros Slices
Possibly contaminated with E. Coli.
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ChicagoReddit

Just some information for anyone wanting to adopt a new friend, the Chicago Animal Care and Control are waiving adoption fees and are currently out of space for anymore cats and that was before 39 new cats arrived on Tuesday. Some hard decisions are being made already so if you can adopt please do. from r/chicago


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ChicagoGram
You’re not supposed to like it. 🙄


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ChicagoTube
Little Feat at the Vic on Sunday night.

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BeachBook
Kim Jong Un May Be Hiding A Hog Apocalypse From The World.

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How A Supreme Court Case On Water Pollution Could Impact Craft Beer.

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TweetWood
A sampling of the delight and disgust you can find @BeachwoodReport.


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The Beachwood Tip Line: Apocatiptic.

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Posted on October 17, 2019