My Home Town By The Numbers
Presented By: BestCollegesOnline.com Chicago public-school teachers have suspended their seven-day strike and look set to approve the compromise reached by their union and the city. So, who won? The best way to approach the question is to look at the main points of contention, one by one. -- Money. The agreement calls for raises totaling 7 percent over three years, with an option for another 3 percent in year four. This is vastly short of the 30 percent over four years the Chicago Teachers Union had initially asked for, and even less than the 16 percent over that period Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he had previous offered. While this may look like a victory for the city, Chicago teachers will still make more than most peers in other big cities, and the prospect of a potential $300 million in extra spending over four years during hard economic times isn't anything for Emanuel to celebrate. Plus, employees will continue to receive seniority-based bonuses (as o...