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Updated, Feb. 10: The Chicago Teachers Union, by a more than two-thirds vote Wednesday, to reopen schools in the nation’s third-largest district. The agreement averted what would have been Chicago’s third teacher strike since 2012 and came after a weeks-long standoff between the union and the city over what measures were needed to safety resume in-person learning. The resolution means teachers and students in pre-K and special education classes can return to school Thursday, K-5 teachers will report to school Feb. 22 with those students back in the classroom March 1 and then the city’s middle schools resuming a week later. High schools were not included in the agreement.

When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot stepped up to the podium for a press conference on Thursday morning, the tone in her voice conveyed pure rage.

鈥淲e are deeply disappointed to announce that we still have not reached a deal,鈥� she said in reference to heated labor negotiations between America鈥檚 third-largest school district and its teachers union over reopening classrooms for in-person learning during the pandemic. 鈥淵esterday, there were a series of steps backward that were simply not productive.鈥�

Lightfoot鈥檚 fury highlighted the raw emotion the debate over school reopening has become in Chicago and nationally as many students struggle in makeshift remote learning arrangements and teachers fear that returning to classrooms without adequate safety protocols in place could endanger their health. In Chicago, the issue has boiled over into a public, closely watched feud that could end up in the city鈥檚 third teacher strike in nine years. As of Thursday, Chicago Public Schools and the union were at an impasse with no deal in sight and 鈥� was extended 鈥渇or the final time through the end of the day.鈥�

Though negotiations between city officials and union brass continue, Lightfoot declared Thursday that her 鈥減atience is over,鈥� and accused union leadership of 鈥渇ear mongering.鈥� The union, meanwhile, has accused the district of putting the lives of teachers and students in danger.

While the standoff carries significant implications for both educators and students, experts studying organized labor said the battle in Chicago isn鈥檛 terribly surprising. Since the pandemic closed schools nationwide nearly a year ago, unions across the country have played an instrumental role in shaping districts鈥� response. In fact, some researchers argue that on school reopening plans than community infection rates of the virus.

At play with the Chicago union, in particular, is a long history of 鈥渕ilitant鈥� activism, said Jon Shelton, an associate professor of democracy and justice studies at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. That includes several teacher strikes over the last decade, most 2019. That history of spirited activism, both for improved educator conditions and broader community changes around progressive issues like affordable housing and defunding the police department, made Chicago a likely epicenter for tension over the contentious school reopening issue, he said.

Yet in many ways the standoff is unprecedented, in part because the learning conditions are so novel 鈥斅爐here are no classrooms to boycott when most teachers and students are already not in school and the district, through its technology, controls the means of instruction 鈥斅燼nd could ultimately have national ramifications.

鈥淯nions elsewhere are absolutely going to be watching this鈥� as they navigate their own school reopening disputes, he said, adding that the pandemic has elevated tension because there are no easy answers. 鈥淩ight now, this really is basically a conflict between the health and safety of teachers and the community versus the mental health and the learning outcomes of students. Both sides have a good argument and that鈥檚 what makes this so difficult.鈥�

In an emotional effort to bring thousands of K-8 students back to classrooms for the first time in months, the district points to research from the Centers for Disease Control and other public health experts recommending a return to in-person learning with safety protocols like mask requirements in place. On Wednesday, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said vaccinating teachers is not a necessary prerequisite for in-person learning, setting off a Twitter feud between the Chicago district and the union.

https://twitter.com/HalleQuezada/status/1357079491932266498?s=20

To bolster confidence in its reopening plan, the district has highlighted a $100 million investment in safety protocols, including upgrades to school ventilation systems. But it鈥檚 the safety protocols where opinions diverge. The union has argued that Chicago for a return to in-school learning, and by not allowing teachers to work from home if they have safety concerns, they鈥檙e being forced to put their health on the line for their job. Roughly if they contract the virus, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

On Thursday morning, union leaders held an emotional press conference with parents who said their students missed instruction because their teachers had been locked out of online learning tools by the district. Remote learning took place on Thursday as the cooling off period was extended and schools were already closed Friday for a pre-scheduled professional development day. Whether thousands of Chicago students will be allowed to attend school in person Monday is still a looming question.

Meanwhile, in an open letter to parents, the union accused the district of failing to meet its own safety protocols. Though they鈥檝e met with district officials for 10 months to reach an agreement, the union argued that it 鈥渘ever had a willing partner on the other side of the table.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what our members鈥� fight is about 鈥斅爏afety,鈥� the union said in the letter. 鈥淢ayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS leadership have unilaterally tried to impose a plan to return educators and students to in-person learning without involving our members, principals, students or parents.鈥�

As the situation continues to unfold in Chicago, a similar conflict was averted in Washington, D.C. For the first time in nearly a year, this week despite fierce opposition from many teachers. In fact, earlier this week the school district asked a judge to grant a temporary restraining order preventing the Washington Teachers鈥� Union from meeting to discuss a potential strike that could unravel reopening plans. In Montclair, New Jersey, in an attempt to reopen classrooms after it struggled to find enough teachers willing to return in person. Across the country in San Francisco on Wednesday, the for failing to open for in-person classes.

Meanwhile in Chicago, equity concerns on both sides only add more fuel to the fire. As evidence builds that remote learning was a resounding failure for many kids鈥� educational progress, Chicago officials have highlighted that private and parochial schools and those in the surrounding suburbs have reopened for students who want to learn in person.

鈥淲hile remote learning works for some, it absolutely does not work for everyone 鈥� not by a long shot,鈥� Lightfoot said, highlighting that distance learning has resulted in an increase in failing grades, depression and isolation among the district鈥檚 鈥淏lack and brown kids who look like me, coming from circumstances like the one that I grew up in, who are struggling and failing. We are failing those children by not giving them the option to return to school.鈥�

But communities of color have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and many Chicago families remain hesitant to embrace in-person learning. Only of eligible students showed up for in-person learning last month and when initially given the choice, 34 percent of Black students and 31 percent of Latino students opted for in-person learning versus 67 percent of white students.The union has highlighted this reality in its negotiations.

鈥淟ike our members, you have witnessed decades of broken promises from CPS, which have hit our most vulnerable Black and Brown communities the hardest 鈥� much like the coronavirus,鈥� the union said in its letter, noting that many parents have chosen to continue distance learning. 鈥淧erhaps you didn鈥檛 trust the plans in place, or perhaps the COVID threat was just too great.鈥�

In many cases 鈥� Chicago included 鈥� the pandemic hasn鈥檛 necessarily created new fractious relationships between teachers unions and district leadership, said Bradley Marianno, assistant professor of educational policy and leadership at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Rather, the pandemic-induced disruptions simply magnified tensions that have long existed.

鈥淲here there were more congenial relationships鈥� between management and labor, 鈥渨e saw those continue during COVID-19,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really shone the light on areas around the country where labor relations were already strained pre-COVID-19. And then when discussions around reopening were launched, they continued forward in that same vein.鈥�

Yet as negotiations drag on behind closed doors 鈥� after more than 80 meetings between city officials and union leadership, according to Lightfoot 鈥斅爌ublic perception of the debate is critical.

鈥淏ehind the scenes they鈥檙e negotiating back and forth,鈥� Marianno said, but through press conferences, social media and letters, both sides are trying to win public support that could ultimately 鈥渟way reopening decisions in either direction.鈥�

While being able to lock teachers out of online learning platforms is an unprecedented tool in the district鈥檚 arsenal, Shelton argued that the idea backfired.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e seen how risky of a strategy that was,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he teachers sort of called the school district鈥檚 bluff and the school district has backed off鈥� with the cooling-off period. For the district, locking out teachers carries significant 鈥渞isk of being seen as an entity that provokes a strike when teachers are still willing to teach鈥� online.

But the building controversy also carries significant risk for teachers, Marianno said. Early in the pandemic, the public tended to view teachers as heroes, he said. Tension over the return to in-person learning could change that, he said. Especially if teachers choose to strike.

鈥淚t remains to be seen how parents would react,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut the most probable reaction would be one of frustration.鈥�

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