Claypool blinks on pension pick-up. Militant "showdown" action still planned for April 1st.

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them. Frederick Douglass
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/frederick_douglass_2.html

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them. Frederick Douglass
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/frederick_douglass_2.ht

CTU Pres. Karen Lewis calls for a "showdown" on April 1st.

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them. -- Frederick Douglas

Another way to say it is, if you don't hit it, it won't fall. Well, Karen Lewis and the CTU hit hard at Forrest Claypool's threatened dropping of the 7% pension pick-up, and it fell, at least for now.

 Unilaterally dropping the pension pick-up, especially in the middle of contract negotiations, was a serious enough contract violation that the union was prepared to strike on April 1st. On top of that, Claypool announced more lay-offs at CPS and then ordered a 3-day unpaid furlough across the entire system.

But faced with an imminent strike, which would have certainly been another, maybe the last, nail in the mayor's political coffin, Rahm pulled back the leash on his attack dogs yesterday and Claypool announced he was withdrawing his threat.

But CPS is still going ahead with the staff lay-offs as well as 3-day furlough. So while a strike may not be called, the union is still planning for militant action of some kind on April 1.

Regarding the strike, Lewis said, “It’s still on the table, just like the 7 percent pension pay cut is still on the table.”

“April 1 would be an unfair labor day of action,” Lewis said. “It’s a showdown.”

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them. Frederick Douglass
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/frederick_douglass_2.html