Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot swept into office this spring declaring it “a new day” for the nation’s third-largest city. But with teachers in Chicago Public Schools hitting the picket lines this week, Lightfoot finds herself facing many of the same challenges as her predecessor, the former White House chief of staff whose years of conflict with the Chicago Teachers Union included a seven-day strike in 2012. About 25,000 teachers and staff were on strike for the second day Friday, after months of negotiations ended without a new contract between the union and CPS. Union officials said progress was being made at the bargaining table, but the strike could continue into next week. Along with the strike, Lightfoot is dealing with other longstanding city problems, including how to close a budget shortfall of nearly $1 billion and address $30 billion in public-pension debt.

Source: thestar October 18, 2019 20:03 UTC