CURRENT CONTRACT FOR CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS EXPIRES IN JUST 5 DAYS.

THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION WANTS RAISES IN THE NEW CONTRACT ALONG WITH ADVANCES ON OTHER ISSUES FROM HOMELESSNESS TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

BUT THOSE DEMANDS ARE BEING MADE AS THE DISTRICT FACES A NEARLY 400 MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT FOR THE COMING YEAR AND APPARENTLY LITTLE APPETITE IN SPRINGFIELD TO FIND MORE MONEY FOR CHICAGO SCHOOLS.

JOINING US NOW TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE STATUS OF NEGOTIATIONS IS STACY DAVIS.

GATES, OF COURSE, PRESIDENT OF THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION.

WELCOME BACK.

STACEY, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

SO CURRENT TEACHERS CONTRACT, AS WE SAID, IT EXPIRES IN JUST A FEW DAYS.

TYPICALLY YOU PROBABLY A BIT FARTHER ALONG IN THE PROCESS BY NOW.

BEFORE WE GET TO THAT EXPIRATION DATE.

BUT HOW WOULD YOU SAY THINGS ARE GOING SO FAR?

AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT THIS TIME AROUND?

BECAUSE WE ALL RECALL WHAT HAPPENED?

LAST CONTRACT NEGOTIATION, RIGHT?

SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE WOULD BE FURTHER ALONG AND TRYING TO MOVE THE DISTRICT TO A PLACE OF NEGOTIATION.

WE DO BELIEVE WE ARE IN A NEGOTIATION PHASE RIGHT NOW AND IT IS STILL A LITTLE THE CADENCE, THE VOICE THAT YOU DON'T HEAR FROM THE CTU IS ONE THAT IS CONFRONTATIONAL BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A MAYOR BEING CONFRONTATIONAL WITH US.

IN FACT, WE HAVE THE OPPOSITE.

WE HAVE A MAYOR WHOSE ENCOURAGE BOTH SIDES TO WORK TOGETHER TO FOMENT THIS TRANSFORMATION.

HE IS LEADING IN OUR CITY COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, CPS AND CTU WILL HELP THE FIRST EVER PUBLIC BARGAINING A SESSION.

WHY DID YOU ALL FEEL IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THESE DONE PUBLICLY?

LOOK, WE WANTED WE WANTED TO DO THIS SINCE 2012.

THIS HAS BEEN A BATTLE CRY OF OUR UNION SINCE KAREN LEWIS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF OUR UNION.

THEN AGAIN, WHEN JESSE SHARKEY LET US WHICH CHANGES THAT WE HAVE A MAYOR WHO'S WILLING TO PUT NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FRONT STREET, THE MAIN STREET, THE FRONT YARD OF OUR CITY.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS CHICAGOANS GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH ACTUAL CUT THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS.

AND WHAT YOU SEE IN HERE IN OPEN BARGAINING IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE IN AND NEGOTIATIONS ALWAYS FOCUS OF THE MOST RECENT SESSION WAS ON CREATING GREEN AND HEALTHY SCHOOLS.

LOT OF FOLKS CAN PROBABLY GET BEHIND BUT WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE WHEN PUBLIC BARGAINING AND WE KNOW IT CAN HAPPEN WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO THOSE LITTLE DETAILS.

THAT IS VERY HARD FOR THE 2 SIDES TO MEET IN LINE WILL I BELIEVE.

ONE IN 4 CHICAGOANS ARE SCHOOL AGE BECAUSE I BELIEVE ONE IN 4 CHICAGOANS ARE SCHOOL AGE.

WHAT WE HAVE TO DO WITH THIS CONTRACT TO SHOW TRANSFORMATION.

WE HAVE TO SET A BENCHMARK THAT EVERY CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAN HAVE ART MUSIC, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, A LIBRARIAN, THE LIBRARY IN EVERY SCHOOL SPORTS THAT ENCOMPASS ALL SEASONS IN THE SCHOOL A YEAR.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING FOR.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE THINK FAMILIES CAN GET BEHIND.

AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CERTAINLY THINK OUR YOUNG PEOPLE CAN GET IT'S BEEN REPORTED THAT SEE TO USE ASKING FOR A 9% PAY INCREASE THIS TIME AND IN AN INTERVIEW HERE ON CHICAGO TONIGHT, LAST WEEK, CPS CHIEF PEDRO MARTINEZ NOTED THAT HE'S PROUD OF THE CURRENT PAY SCALE FOR CPS TEACHERS.

HERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT HE SAID.

WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAY SCHEDULES FOR TEACHERS IN THE COUNTRY.

WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGH STARTING SALARIES.

AVERAGE TEACHER SALARIES OVER $100,000.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR STAFF AND TEACHERS THAT I'VE SEEN BENEFITS OF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LESS TEACHER TURNOVER.

WE DON'T HAVE A SHORTAGE.

IS THAT OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE?

MARTINEZ ALSO SAYS THAT HE PRIORITIZES PROTECTING SUPPORTS FOR TEACHERS AS WELL AS STUDENTS AS WELL AS PROTECTING ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMING REACTION THOUGHT, WELL, IF HE WAS INTERESTED IN PARTAKING SUPPORT STAND, OUR TEACHERS ASSISTANCE WOULD BE MADE WHOLE.

RIGHT NOW.

WE ARE IN A BIT OF A TENSION NEGOTIATION WITH THE DISTRICT OVER THE TEACHER ASSISTANCE THAT WERE LAID OFF.

THAT'S PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE THAT IS SUPPORT PERSONIFIED IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.

AND, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THIS THING ABOUT FEELING GOOD ABOUT HAVING A LOWER TEACHER SHORTAGE.

STILL DOES THE TEACHER SHORTAGE AND SO I'M DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THAT SHORTAGE MEANS THAT HE'S GOING TO ACTIVELY RECRUIT BLACK TEACHERS WITH US.

WE GO TO HBCU NEWS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING SOME OF THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST TALENT BACK TO CHICAGO.

SO BLACK CHILDREN CAN SEE BLACK TEACHERS.

HE WOULD ALSO WORK WITH US AND PROGRAMMING THAT HELPS TO SUPPORT OUR NEWISH TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM SO HE CAN NOT ONLY SAY THAT ON CHICAGO TONIGHT.

HE CAN ACTUALLY AGREE TO THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUAL PROPOSALS IN OUR CONTRACT.

SO LET'S GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE YOU'VE WRITTEN THAT PEDRO MARTINEZ IS, QUOTE, RESORTING TO BUSINESS AS USUAL IN WHAT WAY?

WELL, IN THE HOW CAN YOU ONE INTERVIEW THAT SUPPORT FOR OUR TEACHERS IS IMPORTANT.

WELL, HAVING A TEACHER'S ASSISTANT IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE OVERSIZE CLASSROOMS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WORK IN THAT ANYMORE AND HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED.

LET OUR UNION IS 80% FEMALE.

OUR TEACHERS ASSISTANTS ARE OVER 80% BLACK AND BROWN AND MANY OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.

IT IS OUR TEACHERS ASSISTANTS WHO ARE WELCOMING OUR NEWCOMERS, WHO SPEAK A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.

WE NEED THEM AS ANCHORS INTO OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.

AND THAT MEANS THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTIVE.

AND THAT MEANS THAT HE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE THERE THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR.

FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE LAID OFF THE TAS AND OR TEACHERS, ARE THEY NOT ABLE TO BE REHIRED AT SOME OF THE DISTRICT HIRING FAIRS IN POSITION TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS ARE HIRED AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS?

WELL, THAT'S THE THING ABOUT TRANSFORMATION.

AND THAT'S THE THING ABOUT THE MOMENT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

BRAND IS THAT BUSINESS AS USUAL TO DISRUPT THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, SEND PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PLACES AND HOPE THAT THEY RE SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER.

WHAT WE WANT IS STABILITY FROM YEAR TO YEAR TO YEAR.

WE WANT TO BUILD A LEGACY OF SUCCESS AND STABILITY.

TAKE OUT THE VARIABILITY THAT YOU HAVE AND COMMUNITY SOUTH OF ROOSEVELT MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RICH ALL OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES IN WAYS IN WHICH THEIR STABILITY.

THERE'S A BIG MARK OF WHAT ALL FAMILIES CAN EXPECT TO HAVE AT ANY CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL.

SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO RECKON WITH IS THE MAYOR, THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IS KNOWN TO BE AN ALLY OF CTU BASED ON HIS EXPERIENCE.

OBVIOUSLY HE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CITY, BUT HE'S HE'S BEEN A FRIEND TO SEE TO YOU.

AND IF HE IS MAINTAINING CPS CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ IN HIS POSITION WHY SHOULDN'T WE BE SEEING MORE AND NICKEL RELATIONSHIP OR WHY ARE WE SEEING MORE AMICABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PICTURE?

IT DOESN'T SEEM TO YOU.

WELL, LOOK, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DEFINE AMICABLE.

WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THIS DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE CHALLENGED TO DO DIFFERENT DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY HAVE IN THE PAST.

THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY HAVE TO SIT AT A TABLE WITH WOMEN WHO ARE DOING THE WORK IN THAT BUILDING AND ACTUALLY SHIFT PRIORITIES.

THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT NEW MODALITIES IN NEW METHODOLOGIES AND WAYS IN WHICH TO STAFF THIS SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

BUT EVEN MORE SO WAYS IN WHICH THEY ENRICH THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY WITH LIBRARIANS WITH SOCIAL WORKERS, WITH COUNSELORS, WITH COMMISSIONS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THERE CURRENTLY, WE NEED A BASELINE AND YOU CAN GO TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN DIFFERENT ZIP CODES AND GET SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT.

WE HAVE TO ESTABLISH A BENCHMARK AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS EXPRESSING RIGHT NOW IS OUR DISTRICT IS VERY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THEY HAVE DONE ALREADY WE'RE SAYING IS THAT CHICAGO CHOSE SOMEONE KNEW THEY DIDN'T CHOOSE PA DALLAS.

THEY CHOSE A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER AND THEN MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER BELIEVES A SMALLER CLASS SIZES.

AND BECAUSE CHICAGO CHOSE THAT, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE THE PROPOSALS THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD.

YOU'VE JOKES THAT THE CONTRACT IS GOING TO COST 50, WHAT 1 BILLION?

50 BILLION DOLLARS AND $0.03 ON THE UNION MEMBERS, OF COURSE, HAVE LOBBIED SPRINGFIELD TO FULLY FUND CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WE KNOW THAT THEY CREATED A RAMP FOR THE EVIDENCE BASE FUNDING FORMULA.

IT'S WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

BUT ON TOP OF THAT RAMP YET.

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S PROBABLY NOT THAT MUCH SUPPORT RIGHT NOW IN SPRINGFIELD FOR GIVING CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MORE MONEY.

HOW DO YOU ALL RESPOND TO THE AND STATE LAWMAKERS THAT IS THE CASE THAT THEY CHOOSE NOT TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE DON'T THINK THE ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD ONLY BE GIVING MONEY TO THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

LISTEN, BUDGET CRUNCH THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO FILL ACROSS THE STATE.

IT'S NOT GOING TO JUST BE IN CHICAGO.

SO WHAT ARE STATE LEGISLATORS AND OUR GOVERNOR HAD TO COME TO TERMS WITH IS THIS IDEA FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE ENDS MEET AT THE SAME TIME FOMENTING TRANSFORMATION IN THE LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE LARGEST CITY IN THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

THEY HAVE DUTY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE FULLY FUNDED AND THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE GETTING EXACTLY WHAT THEY DESERVE ALMOST OUT OF TIME.

BUT I WANT TO ASK, OF COURSE, CHICAGO'S FIRST SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS HAPPENING IN NOVEMBER.

47 CANDIDATES VYING FOR 10 SEATS.

HOW IS TO SUPPORTING THESE ELECTIONS?

ARE YOU MONEY TO ANY CANDIDATES FOOT SOLDIERS?

ARE YOU SUPPORTING ANY INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES OUT LOUD?

WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR PROCESS IS WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT A CHICAGO AND OUR MEMBERS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

SO THOSE DETAILS ARE FORTHCOMING.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE.

THEY'RE VERY EXCITED AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS.

THEY'RE EXCITED TO WORK WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE SAME COMMUNITIES AS THEY RESIDE AND TO NOT GO INDOORS AND TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT OUR STUDENTS DESERVE.

THEY DESERVE A FULLY FUNDED EDUCATION.

THEY DESERVE JOY IN THEIR SCHOOL DAY.

THEY DESERVE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SAFE AND PROTECTIVE TO EVERYONE.

AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE DEMOCRACY THAT CHICAGO IS GOING TO EXPERIENCE IN NOVEMBER.

ALL RIGHT.

LOOK FOR TO HAVE YOU BACK AGAIN TO TALK