Hours after the Chicago district announced that it was furloughing employees for three days, the teachers’ union said the action “all but assures” a strike or “a day of action” on April 1.
The latest volley follows the district’s steps to lay off 62 employees, including 17 teachers, in a bid to cut another $85 million from the budget. The district’s current year budget had a gap that exceeded $400 million. With financial assistance from the state looking less and less likely, school officials have been making a series of cuts.
The Chicago Teachers Union, which is operating under an expired contract, said the furloughs amount to a pay cut. The last strike, in 2012—the first in 25 years—shuttered the school system for seven days.
