TEACHERS ON STRIKE: No Classes for 350,000 Chicago Students

 
More than 350,000 students in Chicago will not have class today. Overnight, the deadline passed for the teacher's union and the school board to reach a contract agreement. Union leaders said that the 25,000 public teachers would picket this morning in front of the schools.

At issue are disputes over teacher evaluations, job security, health benefits, and wages. The president of the Chicago board of education called the negotiations (quote) "perhaps the most unbelievable process that I’ve ever been through." This morning, hundreds of thousands of families in Chicago are desperately trying to re-arrange schedules, find babysitters, and seek class alternatives.

There's no telling how long this strike will continue and if Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will become involved. In a late-night news conference he expressed his disappointment, saying the two sides were close and (quote) "I believe this is avoidable because this is a strike of choice."