The question is, who will get the blame?

In one sense, the dispute is not about money—at least, not about the pay and benefits that are at the root of most strikes. Mayor Lori Lightfoot long ago offered across-the-board pay hikes of 16 percent over five years, enough with raises for experience to put the average CPS teacher at nearly $100,000 a year, according to her. The union never said yes, but it’s hard to imagine CPS going up much higher, given current economic conditions.

Instead, the fight has been over whether to add more non-teaching support employees, including librarians, nurses and classroom aides. And while that certainly would cost money—CTU’s total contract demands would cost CPS $2.5 billion, Lightfoot said—it’s also a matter of control.

Though full details are not available, Lightfoot clearly has offered concessions on that count. But she’s not willing to include it in the contract—“put(ting) it in writing,” as CTU puts it.

The reason is power and control, and who sets the priorities. Under current state law, Lightfoot and CPS are not required to bargain about those issues, although they have the discretion to do so. Including them in this contract effectively changes that forevermore. In her view, expanding the list of issues that must be bargained risks endangering the financial stability of a CPS that was effectively insolvent two years ago, rescued only by $1 billion in local property tax hikes and new state aid.