CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago public school teachers have moved closer to going out on strike with the rejection of an independent fact-finder's recommendation for a new contract.
The rejection comes eight days before the start of the school year and means the union could strike as soon as Sept. 25.
The rejection comes after Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools proposed raising teachers' pay by 16% over five years. That's in line with the fact-finder's recommendations.
The union has proposed a 15% increase over three years. During a Monday news conference, union's president Jesse Sharkey said that while the "wage and benefits proposals are said to be generous," they follow a decade of what he called "austerity and cuts."