Chicago Teachers Strike
<p>Who has the power to force teachers back to work at their old salary?
Chicago mayor?  Illinois governor?  USA president?</p>

<p>For how long can this be forced?  E.G., is a 5-year effective suspension
of the union possible with one person's executive order?  Of course, teachers
could still quit on their own at any time, so my question pertains just
to the union's action.</p>

<p>I know laws could be rewritten at any time to allow anything, but let's
assume that no law changes are ever made.</p>

<p>Illinois has a <a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1177" rel="nofollow noreferrer">law governing strikes by public education employees</a>. That law has various procedural requirements, and unfair labor practices by either side are prohibited. §16 allows an aggrieved party to apply for judicial review. In that case, the appellate court could order the strike to end (if there is a legal basis for that). That is, a judge can (theoretically) order teachers back to work. No executive has that power. Teacher strikes (public) are legal in Illinois, whereas they are not legal in a number of other large cities. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board <a href="https://www.illinoispolicy.org/labor-board-finds-ctus-april-1-strike-likely-illegal/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">could have filed for court action</a> over a 1-day walkout in 2016 but it would have been moot. There's nothing suggesting that the current strike is illegal.</p>

<p>No one can order them to work. They obviously aren't there now. No, one person can not cancel out a union.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/strikes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.nlrb.gov/strikes</a></p>

<p>Unions having the right to strike is pretty basic stuff and has existed for many years. It's not going to change. It's a legal right.</p>

united-states illinois executive unions