Unions Remember CPS Worker Who Died Tragically from COVID

Local 73 stood with the Chicago Teachers Union and Carnegie Elementary School community to remember beloved Special Education Classroom Assistant (SECA) jonL Bush who died from COVID-19 on November 26, just days after contracting the virus. Bush’s passing comes as Carnegie faces issues due to a lack of COVID-19 resources from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The school has dealt with a lack of cleanliness driven by too few custodians, lack of adequate ventilation — including portable HEPA filters for classrooms — and problems with COVID-19 testing.

“I’m not just hurt, I’m angry,” said Claudette Bush, jonL’s mother. “My son was fully vaccinated. He followed all of the protocols. I have watched Mayor Lightfoot stand time and time again and tell us our schools are safe and we’ve cleaned them. Well, Ms. Lightfoot: it’s not safe in our schools because jonL Bush is dead today.”

CPS has $2.6 billion in COVID-19 relief funding, yet our public schools continue to struggle without vital resources to keep our students and staff safe. Schools like Carnegie need adequate testing, vaccines for students and families, clean facilities, and a science-based metric that indicates when in-person learning is unsafe.

“We don’t have enough cleaning supplies. I instantly feel a sickness when I walk into these buildings. We don’t have sanitation stations, the washrooms do not work, the building has not been cleaned,” said Chareese Slaughter, a SECA and Local 73 member who worked closely with Bush. “No job is more important than my life.”

“Mr. Bush was our member, and condolences do not go far enough,” said Stacia Scott, Executive Vice President of Local 73. “We are not asking for the sun, moon, and stars. We’re asking for strict safety measures in our schools to protect people’s lives, to protect our children. If we had the same safety measures that they had in Spring 2021, which the Mayor admitted was effective, we would be in a very different situation.”

The new Omicron variant poses the threat of another COVID-19 surge. Mayor Lightfoot and CPS must take action immediately and deliver the improvements and supplies that our schools need. Now is the time for collaboration and a commitment to safety and equity for all.