CTA and the entire organized labor community have beaten an attempt to roll back legislation requiring school districts to meet certain standards before contracting out work normally done by district employees.
Language that would have made it easier for school districts to subcontract work without regard to its impact on students or school employees was proposed for inclusion in the new state budget.
CTA and other unions were able to point out that the protections contained in SB 1419, which was passed two years ago, help ensure that students will receive support services from permanent employees who are committed to students' welfare and to supporting educational excellence. Proponents of the rollback declared that removing the restrictions would save districts money without harming students, but they were never able to produce figures supporting that assertion.