The Chicago Teacher's Union filed a 10-day notice of intent to strike Wednesday.
The notice, signed by CTU president Karen Lewis was sent to Chicago Board of Education president David Vitalie. The timing means that teachers could go on strike after the first week of classes, as early as September 10. A news conference is scheduled for later in the day.
Chicago teachers last went on strike 25 years ago.
The teachers have been working without a contract since June, and negotiations have been slow. An exact strike date has not been set, and Lewis says negotiations will continue in the meantime.
"We want people to understand that this is a necessary step and frankly one that could have been avoided if CPS had worked with us from the very beginning. Instead, they've fought us every step of the way," Lewis said at a news conference.
The two sides are far apart on issues that include salary, health benefits and job security, issues that Lewis says have not even been discussed.
Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean Claude Brizard responded with a statement saying that the strike would only hurt kids.
