The Chicago Teachers Union headed back to the bargaining table Friday morning as classes were canceled for a seventh day amid optimism on both sides about the progress of talks.
The teachers union and some of the 7,500 support staff who also are on strike were planning another large downtown demonstration Friday afternoon, this time starting at Buckingham Fountain and marching to the site of a large, taxpayer-subsidized development, The 78, a $7 billion project linking the South Loop and Chinatown along the Chicago River.
Union chief of staff Jennifer Johnson said Thursday night that it was “absolutely our hope” to be back in school on Monday. “We’ll see where we are tomorrow but we are making progress.” And Sybil Madison, deputy mayor for education and human services, said the CPS team remained focused on “trying to get to a place where we can have teachers and students back in school.”
Union leadership and CPS officials remained optimistic Friday about negotiations. The cancellation of Friday classes means the strike has now tied the last major CTU walkout of 2012 for duration.
Chicago Teachers Union members and SEIU support staff gathered for a rally at Buckingham Fountain on Friday afternoon. Watch live below:
Here’s the latest on the strike:
3:11 p.m. Friday: Police block access to Lake Shore Drive
Marching union members and their supporters tried to get to Lake Shore Drive, but police blocked their way.
A line of several dozen police officers on bicycles blocked the protesters as they stood on Balbo at Lake Shore Drive.
Traffic continued slowly on southbound Lake Shore Drive.
Protesters left the park and marched north on Columbus before backtracking to head east on Balbo toward Lake Shore Drive.
“If we don’t get it, shut it down,” the crowd said.
Teachers and support staff union members began marching about 2:45 p.m. from Buckingham Fountain to the area of The 78, a large development along the Chicago River targeted by the Chicago Teachers Union for its city subsidies.
Teachers began away from the fountain, chanting, “get up, get down, Chicago is a union town.”
Hundreds of demonstrators moved south from Buckingham Fountain through Grant Park to Balbo Drive, then turned north on Columbus Drive for a little, before heading back to Balbo and then turning east.
