Bravo!

One and counting...

It looks like the boys lost this round and hopefully, many other "Gulen-inspired" schools will follow the lead and unionize in an effort to thwart the discriminatory acts that the boys like to practice when it comes to their American colleagues (and for that matter, their own).

Congratulations to the CMSA team and their dogged efforts to unionize. It took tremendous courage and stamina to prevail and we applaud your efforts!

Here's the story on CMSA:

http://www.chicagoacts.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=149

"Teachers at Chicago Math and Science Academy Ready To Negotiate First Contract Teachers at the Chicago Math and Science Academy are ready to start negotiating their first contract with school officials, after the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board certified the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (Chicago ACTS) as their exclusive bargaining representative earlier this month.

Although school officials continue to challenge the newly formed union, teachers at the school said they hope that management respects the IELRB decision and begins the process of negotiating, in good faith, a contract that will help make an already good school even better.

“CMSA teachers are committed to the success of our students, and we hope we can collaborate with school officials on a contract that will be good for kids and fair to teachers,” said Brian Chelmecki, chair of the school’s math department. The Chicago Math and Science Academy has nearly 600 students and about 41 teachers and counselors.

The teachers said they’re proud to have the community’s continued support, including parents, local community groups, and religious, labor and political leaders.

“The more we can engage with teachers and school leaders, the greater the chances of ongoing success for this school and its students,” said Rev. C.J. Hawking, executive director of Arise Chicago, an interfaith workers’ rights organization. “When school officials and teachers work together to build a stronger, more collaborative learning environment, the students win.”

Teachers at the school filed for recognition with the IELRB in June, after two-thirds of the teaching staff signed union authorization cards to be represented by Chicago ACTS, an affiliate of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers.

Shortly thereafter, school officials challenged the IELRB’s jurisdiction over the charter school with the National Labor Relations Board. Despite receiving millions of dollars in public funding, the school claimed its teachers are private employees and therefore come under federal law, not state law. The NLRB refused to recognize the school as a private employer, but CMSA officials have appealed that ruling. The union has also raised questions about the charter school’s use of public dollars to pay attorneys’ fees in opposing the union.

“We hope CMSA drops its appeal to the NLRB, and respects the will of the teachers to form a union and have a voice in the education of their students,” said Emily Mueller, president of Chicago ACTS and a high school Spanish teacher at Civitas Northtown Academy.

Chicago ACTS also represents teachers at eight other charter schools in the city. "