Sharkey's comments were made in a letter emailed to CTU members on Friday afternoon, saying Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot "has walked away from the bargaining table again" after submitting the offer Thursday night. In a statement Friday afternoon, Lightfoot and CPS CEO Dr. Janice Jackson said they had "yet to receive a formal response in writing today from CTU leadership," adding "the ball is in their court." Late Thursday evening, CTU said in a statement that the district "continues to reject using CDC health metrics, refuses to allow educators with medically vulnerable household members to continue to teach remotely, as two-thirds of families have chosen, and refuses to make improvements in remote learning, despite months of pleas from parents, students and educators."