Teachers at two charter networks in Chicago have voted to take the first step toward what would be the country’s first charter school strikes.
Members of the Chicago Teachers Union at Acero’s 15 charter schools voted late last month to authorize a strike. A few days later, teachers at four more unionized charter schools in the city—part of the Chicago International Charter Schools network—voted similarly.
While there has been plenty of teacher activism lately, charter schools have been mostly immune. Nationally, a little more than 11 percent of charters are unionized. In fact, charter schools were in part created to free school leaders from many state and district regulations, including collective bargaining contracts.
But unions are making inroads in the charter space, and earlier this year, the Chicago Teachers Union merged with the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, which includes Acero teachers.
