Serious Discussion Time

Is it time for a realistic look at arbitration? Before everyone gets all huffy about us even bringing it up, relax. The FOP has done a fine job so far holding the line on what will and won't be discussed. Everything we've heard leads us to believe they have not even acknowledged Rahm's efforts to gut discipline, which means it won't be before the arbitrator. But there are recent developments that members should be paying attention to in order to be aware of what's in play.

First the Teachers Union just had an election, and their president is playing the asshole card early:

• The president of the Chicago Teachers Union easily won re-election after ballots were counted late Friday and immediately issued a warning to the incoming mayor, Lori Lightfoot, who was not endorsed by the labor group.
  
  "We hope that the new mayor makes good on her promises to transform our public schools," said Jesse Sharkey after winning re-election with 66% of the vote. "If she does, she will find us to be a steadfast ally. If she does not, she will find us to be an implacable foe."
  
  The union, which represents around 25,000 teachers and other education workers in a district with 400,000 students, had endorsed Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in the mayoral election.

The CTU backed the loser (Prickwrinkle) and now are making demands on an administration that hasn't even been sworn in yet. Not the way to make a first impression.

Then there is the current financial situation going from bad to worse:

• There’s a reason city finances were excluded from the 110-page transition report delivered Friday to Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot.
  
  Lightfoot is buying time to get her arms around a budget shortfall she claims is infinitely “more dire” than the newly revised $700 million figure outgoing Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown has acknowledged.
  
  The last thing Lightfoot wants is to have a public airing — and potential flogging — of the painful tax increases and budget cuts being kicked around by her task force on budget and financial issues chaired DePaul University CFO Jeffrey Bethke.

So Rahm lied (again) and stuck Lightfoot with the extensive bill.

It should not be impossible to discuss that the PBPA had the correct idea. With the financial situation being what it is, why not arbitrate? Discipline is off the table since the FOP refused to discuss it, the raise is left to the arbitrator and he must consider the current economic boom along with comparable raises across the spectrum, and when the inevitable tax hikes are presented, the FOP can shunt the blame over to Sharkey and the CTU - they'll look unreasonable, greedy and they'll strike, which will really tick off taxpayers.

Discuss. Civilly.