Chicago parents blast CTU's 'power play' ahead of possible return to remote learning
CHICAGO - Parents in Chicago are outraged as the city's teachers union mulls a potential walkout this week ahead of a vote on whether the schools will return to remote learning.
Chicago father Ryan Griffin joined "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday, slamming the union for considering the switch as it issues various demands in order to comply with in-person learning.
"We're simply relying on public health guidance and from every level of the public health experts out there they say in-person school is safe and should be prioritized, but well, that's never good enough for the Chicago Teachers Union," Griffin told Will Cain.
"They will never pass up an opportunity to exert their leverage, and they'll get power plays, and unfortunately, our kids here in Chicago are the ones paying the consequences," he continued.
The Chicago Teachers Union issued a list of demands ahead of the Tuesday vote, requesting mass testing, mass testing sites, masks, and granting principals the right to switch from in-person to remote learning.
If the demands are not met, the union is demanding a two-week virtual learning period.
"They cannot capitulate to this constant demands from a teachers union who, by the way, is under contract for five years with a no-strike clause," Griffin stated. "I encourage all parents to stand up and speak their voices."
Chicago father of six Willie Preston joined "Fox & Friends First" on Tuesday echoing Griffin's sentiment, calling the union's effort a "failure for the future of our children."
"This is a terrible situation for our children. It's a terrible situation for working families in Chicago, and I pray that the mayor stands up, have some backbone and make it unequivocal that our kids will be in the best place- in a classroom," Preston told Todd Piro.
The union issued the string of demands to Chicago Public Schools last week, and may engage in a walkout Wednesday if their safety demands are not met.
"This is simply a power play for a larger goal here, which is to run city government in Chicago," Preston said.
"They are a large union here in Chicago, and I think at the end of the day, they smell blood in the water from my mayor, and they're going to push their weight around," he continued.
The union is at odds with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other officials regarding potential school closures as officials believe the classroom is the safest place for Chicago's youth.