CTU President Karen Lewis suggested in comments to reporters that it is unlikely the impasse will be resolved before the contract expires Tuesday. The breakdown in negotiations was somewhat unexpected because Lewis had expressed optimism earlier in the week that the teachers and Chicago Public Schools officials were close to reaching terms on a new one-year contract.

"Chicago Public Schools refuses to budge on our contract proposals that will have no cost impact on the district," Lewis said. "Initially, we thought we might be close to a deal, but today we have found out that their bargaining rhetoric is as empty as their bank accounts."

Lewis said that the Chicago school officials offered a contract that included "threats to terminate 3,000 educators; threats to increase our class sizes; threats to eliminate our pension pick up; and, threats to enforce another $200 million worth of cuts."