Ed Notes Extended

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Will Randi and AFT Join Rahm Emanuel in End Run Around Chicago Teachers Union?

Emanuel to use "senior people" [from AFT?] to negotiate ---- or is this a red herring attempt coming from Emanuel camp to sow divisions between local and national?
Early next week, sources said the mayor plans to step it up a notch by having a "second level of negotiations with more senior people" away from the same cast of characters currently at the bargaining table.

The second tier of negotiations is likely to include Beth Swanson, Emanuel's point person on education, and "
someone from Washington, D.C., who is a more moderate, outside senior level" expert capable of "driving this home," sources said.

"People who've been in those meetings for weeks have war wounds. It's hard to break through that," the Emanuel confidant said.  ---
Chicago Sun Times
Given some history of how the UFT and AFT have acted in the past this is certainly believable. And so it begins. What is a second tier of negotiations that doesn't include "People who've been in those meetings for weeks have war wounds"?

Yeah, war wounds. People who have been chopped to bit and won't take it anymore. And who could this be? "someone from Washington, D.C., who is a more moderate, outside senior level" expert capable of "driving this home."

People who are more moderate. Randi? Leo? They can explain to the CTU that they can't win and should compromise. Watch this one very closely.

Chicago Mayor Emanuel to 'ratchet up' his role in preventing teachers strike

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/14682523-418/mayor-emanuel-to-ratchet-up-his-role-in-preventing-teachers-strike.html

Mayor Emanuel to 'ratchet up' his role in preventing teachers strike
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter fspielman@suntimes.com August 24, 2012 1:02AM

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, pictured Thursday at an unrelated event, is preparing to 'ratchet up' teacher negotiations in a bid to get schools to start on time. | Brian Jackson~Sun Times

Schools to start on time; union won't file strike notice today

Updated: August 24, 2012 8:25AM

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is preparing to "ratchet up" negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union to seal a deal needed to guarantee an on-time Sept. 4 opening of Chicago Public Schools and preserve his signature plan for a longer school day and year, City Hall sources said Thursday.

"He owns this anyway, and he's gonna need to ratchet it up to close it," said a mayoral confidant, who asked to remain anonymous.

Emanuel is already visiting several schools a day to drive home the point that 140,000 kids have already started school and cannot be left in the lurch by a teachers strike.

Early next week, sources said the mayor plans to step it up a notch by having a "second level of negotiations with more senior people" away from the same cast of characters currently at the bargaining table.

The second tier of negotiations is likely to include Beth Swanson, Emanuel's point person on education, and "someone from Washington, D.C., who is a more moderate, outside senior level" expert capable of "driving this home," sources said.

"People who've been in those meetings for weeks have war wounds. It's hard to break through that," the Emanuel confidant said.

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4 comments:

  1. wouldn't the CTU have to accept an AFTer to negotiate in its place?

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    Replies
    1. I believe they would. All along I felt Randi would try to play the middle role and the CTU leadership can't just reject that easily with the union under such attack. Rahm would be able to use that against them. My sense is that the Obama gang is playing a role here. A strike right after the Dem convention would create problems for Obama.

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    2. And I should add that that may not be a bad thing in forcing Rahm to settle without a strike. Revenge will come after the election but what else can they do to the teachers that hasn't been done? If the union has real support from the communities they have arrows in their quiver.

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  2. If the teachers are unified, then whatever Rahm does will be met with push back. I can't believe that Randi can easily take over the negotiations without input from Karen. But honestly, if CTU is strong they will say no to any deal that doesn't sit right with them no matter how it looks. Randi is still trying to get the Republicans to like her, so CTU like Washington and Colorado,will be royally screwed. I wouldn't be surprised if Randi is advising Rahm on the best tactics to squash CTU after they showed her up at her own convention.

    ReplyDelete

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