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CPS board members step in during contract negotiations: 'It's not an illusion, it's collusion,' alderman says

By
Updated  December 23, 2024 6:37pm CST
Chicago Public Schools
FOX 32 Chicago

CPS CEO's firing sparks power struggle as board members join CTU negotiations

The firing of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez on Friday has triggered a power struggle within the district, with board members taking on part of his role, including attending contract negotiations with the CTU.

The Brief

    • The firing of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez on Friday has triggered a power struggle within the district, with board members taking on part of his role, including attending contract negotiations with the CTU.
    • Board members Frank Riley Thomas, Olga Bautista, and President Sean Harden were seen at the negotiations just days after voting to fire Martinez without cause, which means he will remain in his position for the next six months.
    • CPS officials were caught off guard by the board members' involvement, as they were not invited to the negotiations, and their appearance was unplanned. The new hybrid-elected board will be sworn in on January 15.

CHICAGO - The legal battle between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Pedro Martinez, the CPS Board of Education, and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is intensifying.

Martinez's attorney issued a new legal notice to board members Monday evening after Board President Sean Harden and members Frank Riley Thomas and Olga Bautista were seen outside CTU headquarters. 

They said they were there to support CPS negotiators during labor talks with the union.

"We wanted to be here to show our support, make sure things move forward, and there's no pause in activities," said Harden. "We're moving forward, taking care of business as it should be."

It caught Martinez off guard, prompting him to file the following order in court through his attorney:

"We are writing to demand that the Board Member Defendants immediately cease and desist with any such actions, which unlawfully infringe on and interfere with Mr. Martinez’s authority, as CEO, to act as the sole representative of the board in these negotiations."

This comes after Friday night's 6-0 vote to fire Martinez without cause, meaning he will remain in his position for the next six months. Board members stated that his duties would be modified, but Martinez disagreed, saying they cannot do that.

"My contract is very clear," Martinez said after the vote. "There are state laws. There are board policies. But most of all, my contract is clear."

FOX 32 Chicago's Paris Schutz asked Bautista, Thomas and Harden about the proposed modifications, but they declined to answer.

"I understand what you're asking, but today, we have a single purpose and that's to support the team," Harden said.

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates defended the board members on social media, noting that the Board President attended negotiations in 2012 to help close the deal. 

However, Davis Gates overlooked the fact that it was the mayor and CPS CEO who had requested then-president David Vitale's presence. Unlike in 2012, board members were not invited by CPS or the mayor to attend today’s negotiations.

"The board is just there to set policy, they're not supposed to be acting in the day-to-day functions, and what you're seeing is the collusion right in front of our eyes. It's not an illusion, it's collusion," said City Council Member Gilbert Villegas.

The cease and desist order comes after a temporary restraining order, with Martinez's attorney alleging that the mayor's office, in coordination with the Chicago Teachers Union and the new interim school board, has been colluding to violate Martinez’s contract. 

The claim stems from his refusal to accept a high-interest short-term loan to help fund a new teachers’ contract.

This development occurs just three weeks before a hybrid-elected school board is set to be sworn in.

Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Teachers UnionBrandon JohnsonNewsChicago