By Ben Velderman
EAGnews.org

CHICAGO – Members of the Chicago Teachers Union have been back on the job little more than two weeks, but the effects of the union’s recent 10-day strike are still showing up in their paychecks.

When teachers received their Oct. 5 paycheck – the first since the strike ended – many received little or no pay.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

Not working for a week-and-a-half tends to have that effect on paychecks.

But some teachers were caught off-guard by the CTU’s decision to deduct full union dues from their already shrunken paychecks, reports the World Socialist Web Site.

Being the thoughtful individuals that they are, CTU leaders did offer a helping hand to members in need of financial assistance.

“Those CTU members who find (Chicago Public Schools’) payroll policy has thrown them into temporary financial turmoil may be eligible to receive personal loans on an expedited basis from the United Credit Union,” offered the union in a prepared statement.

How generous of the union. A number of teachers may need low-interest loans, seeing as how they weren’t offered any strike pay by the CTU or its parents union, the American Federation of Teachers, during the recent walkout, reports the news site.

The lack of strike pay coupled with the full deduction of union dues isn’t sitting well with some CTU members.

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

Natasha (no last name offered), a CPS special education teacher, seemed stunned by her union’s lack of compassion.

“They did tell us about it, but they still took out full union dues. That I don’t understand at all. It’s a lot,” Natasha told the World Socialist.

The union has promised members that the “temporary penalty” they experienced in their recent paycheck will be made up to them.

“CTU members will eventually receive their entire yearly salary,” the union wrote in its prepared statement.

Just like the union will receive its entire yearly allotment of dues dollars. But unlike its members, it won’t have to wait months to collect its full share.