Last Friday, officials with CPS and CTU held dual press conferences to provide updates on their ongoing contract negotiations.

On Monday afternoon, the Chicago Teachers Union held a press conference giving an update on where things currently stand.

Teacher prep time, evaluations, pay, and class sizes remain key sticking points as the district and union enter their eighth month of bargaining.

But Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates said she's frustrated one person — schools chief Pedro Martinez — seems to hold the keys to getting a contract as the two sides work to negotiate a deal and avoid a strike.

In dueling press conferences Friday, Chicago Public Schools officials and members of the Chicago Teachers Union each stressed that valuable progress has been made in their long-running negotiations. But in the eight months since the union launched its demands,

Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and CPS leaders are at an impasse in contract negotiations, with little progress made despite meetings throughout December.

Officials with Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union on Friday held dual press conferences to provide updates on their ongoing contract negotiations, with both sides expressing frustrations over the slow progress.