Chicago Teachers’ Election Disputed

The dispute over a Chicago Teachers Union election widened Friday as the national teachers union said the winner should take over as president, while the incumbent refused to relinquish the keys to the office.

The American Federation of Teachers said Friday that Marilyn Stewart should assume the presidency while the dispute over her 566-vote election victory was resolved.

The national union is conducting a preliminary investigation into the runoff election, which the local union invalidated amid allegations of voter fraud, and said its rules suggested elections were presumed valid until a final decision on any challenges.

Deborah Lynch, the incumbent, had the office locks changed earlier in the week, and on Friday a lawyer for the Chicago Teachers Union said the office would remain in her hands.

“They are not going to turn the office over because we disagree with the position taken by the AFT,” said the lawyer, Jose Behar.

Behar said both sides in the dispute had agreed to contact the national union on Tuesday to try to resolve the situation quickly.

Stewart, a special education teacher, showed up at the Chicago Teachers Union office Thursday to take over as president but was turned away.

Rosemaria Genova, a spokeswoman for Stewart, said Stewart and her supporters were pleased the national union acknowledged the election results.

Genova said a federal judge denied their request Friday to have Lynch removed. Genova said the judge recommended the national union and Labor Department resolve the situation quickly.

AFT spokesman Alex Wohl said Friday night that the national union staff would offer a recommendation probably by early next week on whether to hold a full investigation.

The election troubles are the latest in a difficult year for the 37,000-member Chicago Teachers Union.

The school district in May announced hundreds of job cuts. Mayor Richard Daley is considering turning management of some schools over to the private sector.