Chicago teachers review tentative deal

• Tweet

CHICAGO, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Teachers' union and school district officials met Saturday to work out details on a contract that could end the Chicago teachers strike, union officials said.

The two sides met in the offices of Chicago Teachers Union attorney Robert Bloch to put in writing terms of a framework agreed to Friday, the fifth day of the strike, so the union's House of Delegates could review and vote on it Sunday, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Bloch said before going into the meeting both sides "have a lot of work to do. It's an ambitious schedule that we've set for concluding this agreement. We'll do everything we can."

He said the union was dependent on the school district's "willingness to work with us on remaining issues. We have not settled the contract. We've reached agreement on the most contentious issues.''

Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey said he was cautiously optimistic about classes resuming Monday for the district's 350,000 students.

"We're hopeful that we can do it but frankly like I said, the devil is in the details of this contract and we want it in writing," Sharkey said. "We have the framework and the set of terms that we think will settle some of the major issues, the bones of the agreement ... . We do not have a contract yet."

CTU members were scheduled to rally Saturday in Union Park, the Sun-Times said. Teachers from Wisconsin and elsewhere were expected to attend.