Chicago schools reopening uncertain as union talks stall

CHICAGO (AP) — A plan to reopen Chicago schools remained in doubt Monday as last-minute negotiations over COVID-19 safety measures with the teachers' union stalled, amplifying the possibility of a strike or lockout if teachers and staff in K-8 do not show up for work.

Roughly 62,000 students and about 10,000 teachers and staff in K-8 were expected to start school for the first time since last March, part of the district's gradual reopening plans during the pandemic. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Sunday she still expected all teachers, including those in pre-K and special education who started in-person earlier in January, to show up Monday. But she pushed back students' arrival until Tuesday over staffing concerns, saying remote learning would be extended a day.

The Chicago Teachers Union has fought returning to classrooms in the nation's third-largest district, defying orders to come to class ahead of students. The union has said that if the district locks teachers out of email and teaching platforms, which it has done previously, all teachers will picket. Such a move could shut down remote learning district-wide.

Chicago Public Schools officials and the union reported weekend progress on issues including contact tracing and ventilation. But by Sunday evening, both sides accused each other of failing to show up at the bargaining table and said significant disagreements remained.

The union and district have been fighting for months over issues including vaccinations, metrics used to gauge infections and special accommodations for employees who have concerns, like a high-risk family member in their household.

The district’s CEO, Janice Jackson, said teachers who failed to show up for work would be locked out of remote work by the end of the business day, which union leaders said would lead to a strike. Union...