{"id":1656,"date":"2022-03-19T10:23:46","date_gmt":"2022-03-19T15:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freecovidvaccination.com\/?p=1656"},"modified":"2022-03-19T10:23:46","modified_gmt":"2022-03-19T15:23:46","slug":"teachers-union-opposes-cps-violations-of-covid-related-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freecovidvaccination.com\/?p=1656","title":{"rendered":"Teachers Union Opposes CPS Violations of COVID-Related Contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

As pandemic-related mandates ended in Illinois, the safety agreement between Chicago’s government and the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU) was cast aside even though promises were made to keep the contract in place through the end of the 2021-22 school year. Instead, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education made wearing masks optional in clear violation of the agreed-upon bargain created to end the teachers’ strike in January.<\/p>\n

The union, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, filed unfair labor practice (ULP) charges against the board of education on March 7, 2022. Despite agreeing to open negotiations with the CTU if mandatory masking, the complaint reports that Martinez’s announcement was premature since no bargaining or discussion of ending the mandate was not held with union representatives.<\/p>\n

Not only did CPS unilaterally implement the end to mandatory masking, but this is only one of several actions taken that are contrary to its agreement with the union.<\/p>\n

In the six-page complaint, the union asserts that health and safety experts agree several components are essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in public settings. These measures are “the use of masks, vaccinations, proper air ventilation, testing of students and CPS employees, proper quarantine and isolation policies, and the use of remote learning,” according to the CTU Local 1 CPS Masking Policy ULP pdf.<\/p>\n

The union blames the district’s refusal to require students to be vaccinated as a reason for the masking mandate to remain in place and cited low vaccination rates in many of the city’s schools:<\/p>\n

As of the date of this filing, less than half of CPS students are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at nearly 75% of all CPS schools. At nearly 50 CPS schools, primarily on the South and West sides of Chicago, 10% or less of students are fully vaccinated. The vaccination rates for CPS students are lower than those for children in Chicago as a whole.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Union\"
Courtesy of Elizabeth Warren (Flickr CC0)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is substantial evidence that the COVID-19 virus spreads easily in school settings, especially if masks are not worn, states the ULP. Their assertion is supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).<\/p>\n

Even though there have not been studies done about the real-world effectiveness of masks preventing virus infection, using well-fitting face coverings while inside public settings lower the odds when compared to not using a mask.<\/p>\n

Timeline of events leading up to the union filing ULP charges against the Chicago School District:<\/p>\n