Chicago parents relieved as teachers, district avert strike

CHICAGO (AP) — Relieved parents dropped their children off at Chicago schools on Tuesday morning after the Chicago Teachers Union and the nation’s third-largest school district averted a strike with a tentative contract agreement reached minutes before a midnight deadline.

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said at a news conference late Monday that after more than a year of negotiations, the two sides had hammered out an agreement that isn’t perfect but is good for students, teachers and the city. The deal still must be approved by the union’s House of Delegates and the full membership, a process that could take weeks.

“There will be classes in the morning,” she said. “It wasn’t easy, as you all know ... We’re very pleased we were able to come to this tentative agreement.”

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the proposal ensures teachers are respected and “appropriately rewarded,” while strengthening CPS finances and reassuring parents and taxpayers that the two sides are able to work together. There was no immediate information about how much the deal would cost or how the financially struggling district would pay for it.

“Students across Chicago will be in school this morning and on the path to a stronger and brighter future,” Emanuel said at an early morning news conference at City Hall.