Teacher walkout ends after 11 days

The longest Chicago teachers strike in decades ended Thursday, sending students back to classes today, after one final standoff between the city and the Chicago Teachers Union over makeup days.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the end of the 11day walkout Thursday afternoon following a lengthy closed- door meeting with CTU officials. Lightfoot agreed to making up five days lost to the strike, a final sticking point for the union.

As of late Thursday, Chicago Public Schools has not yet determined when the five makeup days will be scheduled.

The strike, which outlasted the latestmajor CTU work stoppage in 2012 by several days, was officially suspended.

Lightfoot praised the deal as “historic” but lamented that the strike had been “a hardship on way too many people across our city, particularly our young people,” and that itwas important to her that classes restart.

“Enough is enough, and so in the spirit of compromise we agreed,” Lightfoot said. “It was a hard-fought discussion. It took us a lot of time to get there. But I think this is the right thing ultimately for our city, and I’m glad that this phase is over.”

The strike began Oct. 17 and took 25,000 CTU members off the job and about 300,000 students out of school. It was the longest against the Chicago Board of Education since a 19- day walkout in 1987.

Now rank-and-file members must vote to ratify or reject the agreement, and the Chicago Board of Education must also sign off on the new deal. CTU President Jesse Sharkey said he’s “not going to say it’s going to be a slam- dunk.”

“Members of the CTU get the final say on that contract,” Sharkey said.

The union’sHouse of Delegates voted 364-242 in favor of a tentative agreement reached Wednesday, but the issue of make-up days became an 11th-hour glitch when the CTU said the strike ending was contingent on teachers being able to recoup the lost school days, and their accompanying pay for them.

The union representing 7,000 support staff, Service Employees International Union Local 73, also ended their solidarity strike Thursday. SEIULocal 73 on Wednesday ratified a tentative deal reached earlier in the week, but encouraged members to honor CTU picket lines.

A vehement Lightfoot late Wednesday said CTU threw a curveball into the process and was adamant that she would not compensate teachers for strike days. On the strike continuing through Thursday, she said she was “gravely disappointed.”

But Thursday morning, Lightfoot softened her stance and said she would talk about a compromise, although she wouldn’t accept the union’s “unilateral demands.”