Chicago Teachers Say Strike Continues; City to File Suit

So much for that tentative deal. Chicago teachers this evening opted not to vote on a pact that would end their weeklong strike, saying they needed more time to digest the details, reports the Chicago Tribune. Union chief Karen Lewis said the earliest classes could resume is Wednesday. But soon after the union's decision, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city would file suit to immediately end what he termed an illegal strike, reports AP. As of now, schools are set to be closed tomorrow.

"I will not stand by while the children of Chicago are played as pawns in an internal dispute within a union," said Emanuel's statement. "This was a strike of choice and is now a delay of choice that is wrong for our children." Earlier, Lewis said members were not happy with the proposed deal. "They’d like it to be a lot better for us than it is,” she said, adding that the possible closing of more than 100 city schools in coming years had many worried about job security. (More Chicago stories.)