First Charter School Strike Likely Soon in Illinois

Apparently teacher union officials do not hate charter schools enough to refuse to move in and force charter school employees to endure their forced representation.  Both the NEA and AFT demonize charter schools.

Charter schools were developed to give parents choices about education and teachers to teach in freedom.  The truth, however, is also that many charter schools are easier to unionize as they come under the jurisdiction of the private sector National Labor Relations Act and are not subject to various state laws which govern the public sector.

Now the Chicago Teacher Union (an American Federation of Teachers affiliate) which represents Chicago charter schools, has taken a vote to strike.  Brandis Friedman has the story on wttw.com.

The union representing those teachers, the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, or ChiACTS, announced the results of the strike authorization vote Tuesday evening: 96 percent member turnout, with 98 percent voting to authorize a strike.

The vote affects all 15 of the Acero – formerly UNO – charter schools. That’s about 500 teachers, and 8,000 students.