Chicago Charter School Teachers Vote to Unionize

United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) charter school teachers get representation

Earlier today the Alliance of Charter School Teachers and Staff, known as ACTS, presented cards that were apparently signed by a strong majority of teachers at United Neighborhood Organization charter schools. An observer appointed by UNO and the union counted the cards and determined that ACTS would henceforth represent UNO teachers.

For the sake of UNO teachers, we hope that this was indeed their wish. And for the sake of UNO students and families, we hope that the unionization works out well for all involved.  But the way that this process was handled was troubling. UNO set a precedent that we hope will not be followed by other charter schools.

The first clear indication that UNO would be unionized came not from teachers, but from UNO's administration, which made a special arrangement with ACTS. ACTS was allowed access to UNO teachers in UNO schools and received contact information for teachers.