The Chicago Teachers Union on Wednesday discussed their next steps in lengthy contract talks with Chicago Public Schools. CPS and CTU have begun fact-finding hearings this week, a required stage in negotiations before the union can legally go on strike.

Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union sent a letter reaffirming their commitment to being a sanctuary place for all students, parents, and employees.

Despite having put five of her kids in Chicago Public Schools, Blaire Flowers said once her eldest daughter graduates high school, she may have to make the difficult decision of moving her children to a school district in the suburbs.

The fact-finding process triggers a timeline for a possible strike, but it wouldn’t happen until mid-April at the earliest.

Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union are reaching a stalemate in negotiations. Chicago teachers are no strangers to strikes: The last three contracts with Chicago Public Schools landed after the teachers walked off the job. "To force our hand to take a strike vote is a very cruel and mean joke," CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said.

Chicago Teachers Union officials filed a grievance with Chicago Public Schools alleging that the district is shorting some educators’ wages.

Chicago Public Schools officials reportedly mistook Secret Service agents for ICE officers during a chaotic morning incident amid migrant crackdowns.

As CPS and its teachers union disagree about how much the district can afford, a new report warns of dire fiscal outlook.

The union has asked CPS to correct the reported salary issues and give them back pay. It is also asking the district to “perform a system-wide salary audit” and “review and implement changes” to the payroll and staffing services departments so that concerns about pay are “responded to and resolved within contractual timelines.”

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates says a fact-finding process underway now is “stacked against” the CTU, opening the door for a strike as early as March.

Teachers and other school workers, who are determined to fight against years of austerity and lost purchasing power, must reject the illusions peddled by CTU leaders about the supposed “transformative” contract.

The borrowing comes as the government watchdog Civic Federation describes the junk-rated school district as being at a “critical financial juncture.”