>> First off tonight as we speak, the Chicago Teachers Union's 730 strong House of Delegates is preparing to vote on whether to approve a new four-year contract after nearly a year of contentious negotiations, the union's leaders and big bargaining team endorsed a contract that they say is a historic achievement.

Reporter Matt Masterson joins us now live from CTU headquarters with more.

Matt, give us a quick recap on the highlights of the deal with the delegates are revealing tonight.

>> Yeah, Brenda.

So those delegates are those 730 delegates are in this Chicago teachers union headquarters behind me poring over a four-year contract that Chicago public schools officials say is worth about 1.5 billion dollars.

Now that's going to include annual raises starting at 4% for teachers.

It includes more prep time for elementary school teachers in forcible class size limits.

It also increases funding for sports print programming and op includes new services and protections for the students who are most vulnerable throughout the Chicago Public School district.

It also adds first time provisions of academic freedom after Sisi to push for what it calls a force field in this contract against possible attacks from Trump administration.

Washington.

>> At where things stand with the vote?

For example, is it basically a done deal at that point and or is there a likelihood that the delegates could reject this deal?

>> Deliberations are ongoing, but there will be resolution later tonight.

There's going to be some dissension.

This is not a perfect contract, but in all likelihood, this is going to be an approval from the House of Delegates that will move this photon is there's been high confidence from union leaders.

They spoken in glowing terms about this deal and there have been previous tentative agreements in previous rounds of bargaining that have come after much more contentious negotiations with Chicago public schools that still lead to a contracting approval vote from the delegates.

So it's very, very likely that this is going to be approved tonight and moved on to the rank and file members from the Chicago teachers Union who will then need to approve this deal for it to be finalized from the union standpoint, the cargo board of Education will then need to finally approve this as well to make sure this deal is done later this month.

>> going forward, you know, what does this contract mean if and when it's approved?

What does it mean for, you know, students and educators, educators, but also the finances of the district.

>> Well, one of the biggest things is that it will not be a strike.

There will be a teacher strike.

This will be the first time in 15 years that the Chicago teachers Union has reached a new contract without taking a strike.

Vote course there were work stoppages back in 2019 and in 2012.

And as for the finances, Chicago Public Schools, CEO Pedro Martinez, expressed confidence that the district has the funds to cover the first year of this of this deal for sure.

But that's going to be more work to be done.

Going forward to cover things going for it.

Ctu officials and CPS officials have both said they need to petition state leaders for more state funding and he's going to be more work done to handle pension payments to make sure that CPS has the cost the funding to go forward with this.

After facing a significant structural deficit for years.

>> Okay.

Matt Masterson watching the vote for us that the CTU House of Delegates.