CHICAGO (WLS) — The potential of a teachers strike is moving closer to reality in Chicago.

Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union are reaching a stalemate in negotiations.

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Chicago teachers are no strangers to strikes: The last three contracts with Chicago Public Schools landed after the teachers walked off the job.

“To force our hand to take a strike vote is a very cruel and mean joke,” CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said.

Davis Gates claims CPS CEO Pedro Martinez is deliberately stalling.

“He is being a bully,” Davis Gates said.

Martinez and his team deny they are stalling.

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“There is all this rhetoric and accusations that are not based on truth; we have more agreements today in contract than last two contracts,” Martinez said.

Both sides have agreed to take the next step, which is a fact-finding: a path to a potential strike.

A fact finder takes information from CTU and CPS and issues a report. Davis Gates says fact finding usually sides with CPS. While non-economic issues such as teacher evaluations and prep time have yet to be hashed out, salaries remain a big sticking point.

“They have the infrastructure, financial infrastructure, to get this done,” Davis Gates said.

CPS says they do not. Martinez says the district cannot afford CTU’s salary proposal. CPS is offering CTU a 16% raise over four years. Martinez says CPS cannot go beyond that without risking layoffs and furloughs.

“Theirs is a disagreement on what we can afford; the fact finder will shed some light on that,” Martinez said.

Despite the impasse, Martinez does not believe parents and staff have an appetite for a strike.

The fact finder will release his report Feb. 6, and then there is a 15-day period, during which both sides can accept or reject it.

If it is rejected, there is a 30-day cooling off period, and during that window, CTU can call a strike vote.