Chicago Teachers Union Tells Members Not to Reveal Vaccination Status if It Means Returning to School

The COVID-19 pandemic has gravely affected the United States' education sector, dividing opinions among groups and authorities. Recently, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Jesse Sharkey instructed his members not to disclose receiving the COVID-19 vaccine if it means returning to school.

The Daily Wire reported that the CTU's president's instruction is tied up on the dispute between his group and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) concerning the current educational setup, which is virtual learning.

Chicago Teachers Union and Public Schools

Sharkey noted that the CTU does not have an agreement with CPS in disclosing COVID-test results, adding that they do not believe that "they can mandate disclosure" until negotiations are complete.

In a clearer context, it means that if the teachers have been accommodated to work at home, they should avoid completing a disclosure survey that the CPS had sent if revealing they had a shot would imperil that situation.

The disagreement between the teachers' union and the school district is revolving around inadequate safety protocols.

Fox News reported that the school district has opened its doors to thousands of students from kindergarten through eighth grade this month. In mid-December of the previous year, the Chicago Board of Education has decided to resume in-personal classes in January. However, the teachers' union opposed the idea.

"This is the most difficult time. Transmission is highest," Sharkey noted as he opposed the Chicago Board of Education idea.

The union argued that a remote learning plan is much safer until the COVID-19 vaccine could do its work to reduce the risk of infection. The union also cited the recent surveys showing two-thirds of CPS parents refused to send their children to school.

With hopes of shifting to face-to-face classes, the district has placed four vaccination sites. As of Sunday, they have scheduled 14,000 appointments, but around 5,600 vaccinations were confirmed. CBS Chicago reported that Albany Park's Roosevelt High School is one of the four vaccination sites of the CPS.

Chicago Teachers Union and Vaccine Records

Because of the disagreement between the union and the school district, legitimate recording of the actual number of teachers vaccinated has been a challenge for the district.

"I don't have a problem with people answering this kind of survey," Sharkey said. However, he noted that he had a problem with the CPS "not bargaining it with us."

According to Sharkey, about 11,000 of the union's roughly 25,000 members have been vaccinated with at least one shot in the past weeks.

"We don't have the best information," he noted. On the other hand, the CPS' data does not specifically break down the exact details about who was offered for the appointment and who only got them.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has labeled the union to be "akin to a political party." Lightfoot noted that she thinks the union wants to "take over not only Chicago Public Schools," but also the city government. Lightfoot added that her office maintained peace with almost every organized labor unit, except for the CTU and Fraternal Order of Police.

On Tuesday, the CPS announced that it has set Apr. 19 as a target date for high schoolers to return to in-person learning.

As teachers continue to receive COVID-19 vaccines, CPS said high school students and faculty across the city could return for in-person learning next month for the start of the system's fourth quarter.

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