Chicago teachers clinch $1.5B contract without strike for first time in 12 years, marking major shift in US education labor talks

For the first time in over a decade, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) reached a groundbreaking agreement without a strike. The four-year, $1.5 billion deal, which includes pay hikes, class size limits, and the hiring of hundreds of new teachers, is being hailed as a major turning point for education labor negotiations across the United States. According to the Associated Press, the deal signals a new era of collaboration between the district and the union.

Negotiations for this contract were highly turbulent, marked by the firing of the CPS superintendent and the resignation of the entire school board. Despite these challenges, the deal was successfully concluded, as reported by the Associated Press. The agreement comes amid growing concerns over potential federal education funding cuts under the Trump administration, adding an additional layer of uncertainty to the negotiations.

Major terms of the deal
The contract includes significant financial benefits for teachers. As quoted by the Associated Press, teachers will receive 4% retroactive raises for the past year, followed by annual pay hikes ranging from 4% to 5%. By the end of the contract in 2028, the median teacher salary is expected to reach $98,000, and the average teacher salary will be around $110,000, according to the district's projections. This is a notable shift in pay, especially for a city where nearly 70% of the student population is low-income and more than 80% are Black or Latino, as reported by the Associated Press.

In addition to pay increases, the deal also includes the hiring of 800 new teachers and 100 additional librarians, a provision that aims to reduce class sizes and improve educational outcomes. As quoted by CTU President Stacy Davis Gates, the deal will also provide teachers with an extra 10 minutes of daily prep time, bringing the total to 70 minutes each day. The contract also stipulates that class sizes will be capped by grade level, with kindergarten classes limited to 25 students, as reported by the Associated Press.

Political backdrop and union influence
The deal was forged against a backdrop of political turbulence. Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former teacher and ally of the CTU, played a crucial role in helping secure the contract. Johnson, who was elected with the support of the union, worked closely with union leaders to push for a fair agreement. "When I was running for office, they said it would be a liability," Johnson said, as quoted by the Associated Press. "But it sounds like to me that no other mayor could have brought Chicago Public Schools, the Board of Education, the mayor's office, and the CTU together to the table."

Despite concerns over the district's financial stability, including a $500 million annual deficit and a pending $175 million pension reimbursement, the deal was seen as a victory for both teachers and students. "We stayed true to our values," said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, as quoted by the Associated Press, after the deal was announced. "We succeeded in keeping the best interest of our students always at the center."

The success of this agreement has had ripple effects beyond Chicago. The Associated Press reports that it could influence future union negotiations, particularly in other large districts like Los Angeles, where similar challenges exist. While funding concerns persist, the deal has set a new precedent for US education labor talks and offers hope to unions nationwide that collaboration can lead to success without the need for strikes.