To this end, the preliminary agreement provides that CPS would hire at least 250 nurses and 209 social workers, with plans to reach a certain number of positions each year, “provided there is a sufficient number of qualified candidates”. Some students immediately see the benefits of this extra staff, prioritizing schools based on need. Negotiations escalated dramatically Wednesday night in a tough, hours-long meeting of the 700-member Chicago Teachers` Union Board of Directors. Delegates voted by a majority of about 60 to 40 percent to agree to a preliminary agreement with the city hall, but continue to strike on Thursday, until the mayor agreed to ask for the lost teaching time — essentially, in the mayor`s words, to pay them for the days they were on strike. The 41-page deal, which shop stewards approved Wednesday night by 362 votes to 242, gives details on everything from wage increases to class size restrictions.
