Chicago Teachers Union president reacts to leaked contract proposal

CHICAGO - There is drama over leaked documents that apparently show what the Chicago Teachers Union is going to demand in its next contract.

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates delivered a fiery message for over 40 minutes on Tuesday, focusing on the importance of public education and contract negotiations after the CTU's contract proposal was put on display for everyone to see.

"We are not going to fight for the schools that Chicago students deserve anymore. We are going to give it to them," Davis Gates said.

Davis Gates came out swinging in front of a sold-out crowd at the City Club. The Chicago Teachers Union president says she's ready to bargain on behalf of 30,000 union members come this summer.

But a leaked CTU contract proposal was sent to the conservative think tank, Illinois Policy Institute.

"What was shared outside of our membership before it was ready to be presented to anyone else is draft. We have not ratified anything there yet," Davis Gates said.

One of the documents shows the CTU wants a housing proposal that would be supported through money from the Real Estate Transfer Tax referendum known as "Bring Chicago Home." If passed, it's meant to deal with Chicago's homeless population.

The irony is the union put up $200,000 supporting the passing of Mayor Brandon Johnson's referendum.

"I want that money to put the 20,000 homeless students, which are almost 80% black, to actually be put in schools," Davis Gates said.

And the union would want money to help union members live and work in the city.

"There's financial assistance for city workers who fight fires and who are in public safety. We would want something very similar," Davis Gates said.

Mayor Johnson will have to bargain with CTU come this summer, and the Illinois Policy Institute says the optics don't look good.

"One thing that could bring a lot of peace and transparency to the process is for the mayor to really remove himself entirely from those negotiations and appoint an independent arbiter," said Austin Berg, vice president of marketing at the Illinois Policy Institute.

The CTU has been the largest financial backer of the mayor, but Davis Gates says they both have a job to do.

"My role is to run the Chicago Teachers Union, and the City of Chicago elected Mayor Brandon Johnson to do his role," Davis Gates said.

The contract proposal is still in the process of being ratified. On Wednesday, members will vote, and we expect more details then.