Rauner says Chicago Teachers Union shouldn't have 'dictatorial powers' over finances
By Rick Pearson
Clout Street |
"The power of the teachers union has been overwhelming. Chicago has given and given and given. It's created a financial crisis that the Chicago schools face now," Gov. Bruce Rauner said Aug. 10, 2015. (Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune)
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday called the release of Chicago Public Schools' deficit-ridden budget a "significant step in the process of acknowledging and accepting" the union-weakening provisions he wants in the collective bargaining process.
"The power of the teachers union has been overwhelming. Chicago has given and given and given. It's created a financial crisis that the Chicago schools face now," Rauner told reporters outside his 16th floor office in the Thompson Center hours after CPS officials released a new spending plan that counts on $480 million in pension help from Rauner and the General Assembly that so far hasn't gone anywhere.
"We believe the right answer is to empower: The people of Chicago, the voters of Chicago, the mayor of Chicago, the school board of the Chicago Public Schools should be enabled to decide what gets collectively bargained and what doesn't so they don't end up with the teachers union having dictatorial powers, in effect and causing the financial duress that Chicago public schools are facing right now."
Rauner restated his belief that changes in collective bargaining should be statewide, and not just for Chicago, if there's an attempt to alleviate CPS' cash crunch for the coming school year.
At the same time, Rauner said he opposed proposals to create an elected school board in Chicago, something the CTU backs, citing Mayor Rahm Emanuel's efforts to challenge the union. Chicago is the only school system in the state with an appointed board of education and Rauner said he believed voters in other school districts should have the option of choosing an appointed school board.
Rauner's efforts to try to reduce public union bargaining rights and eliminate laws requiring governments to hire construction contractors who pay private union wages have gone nowhere in the Democratic-dominated General Assembly.
The first-term governor has made approval of such changes and others a prerequisite for discussing new revenue as part of a new state budget. The state has gone since July 1 without a full spending plan, though various court orders and other requirements have kept much of government and government services funded without an appropriation.
Rauner said he was "cautiously optimistic" that "leaders here in Chicago "are beginning to acknowledge the need for structural change and beginning to move in a direction that's consistent with the reforms we've been advocating for many, many months."
Rauner said Chicago has, independently among all state school districts, the ability to outsource support services, a provision he said would be beneficial across the state as a cost-savings measure. The governor also noted a collective bargaining change that led to a longer school day in city schools and the desire of CPS to take off the bargaining table talks over efforts to require teachers to pick up more of their pension costs.
"Similar ability to change what gets collectively bargained could save hundreds of millions of dollars to other school districts around the state," Rauner said.
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Bruce Rauner
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