Caucus of Rank and File Educators

CORE encourages CTU members to file their own grievances. To file a grievance, you should know how the Board is violating the Agreement and have evidence showing the violation. If you need help determining which part of the Agreement is being violated or any other grievance assistance, contact CORE.

Unequal Paycheck Grievance

The Agreement calls for teachers to be paid via 26 equal, bi-weekly paychecks. Your paycheck should be the same every two weeks, whether during the school year, on vacation, or over the summer.

To file a payroll grievance over unequal paychecks, you’ll need three things:

1) CORE’s Unequal Paycheck Grievance Form. This is a fillable Word document and includes detailed instructions.

2) Appendix A-1A and A-1B which are salary schedules for 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.

3) A sample paycheck as a guide.

Class Size Grievance

To file a grievance over class size, use CORE’s Class Size Grievance Form.

Filing Your Grievance

CORE recommends hand delivering your grievance to Employee Relations at the address found on the grievance forms. Be sure to get a stamped copy proving CPS receipt. Fax or mail delivery may or may not be effective! You should also deliver a copy to Rachel Resnick, 125 S Clark St., 5th Floor. Be prepared to defend your right to file the grievance. Labor and Employee Relations may question why you haven’t gone through the Union. Tell them you wish to file on your own. If they try to dismiss the grievance because it is missing some arcane component, tell them that you will bring it directly to Rachel Resnick if they will not comply with your contractual rights to file on your own behalf.

The Office of Labor and Employee Relations has 15 days to respond. Further instructions and procedures, including information on appeals, can be found in Article 3-6 on page 14 of the Agreement.

Create Your Own Grievance

You can also create your own grievance using CORE’s grievance format. Use the forms above as examples. CORE’s grievance forms consist of four sections.

1) The Summary section gives a short explanation of the grievance.

2) The Facts section details how the Board has violated the Agreement and is where you tell your story.

3) The Agreement Violations section cites and quotes the specific articles of the Agreement that have been violated.

4) The Remedy section proposes an immediate solution to violations of the Agreement.