Biology teacher Matthew Myers has more important things to do than to educate his students at Mather High School.

He’s knitting for justice! And a fatter paycheck.

“Mather High School teacher Matthew Myers knits on the picket line during the #CTUstrike,” WTTW recently posted to Twitter.

The message included a video of Myers needling the day away on a Chicago sidewalk alongside his comrades toting strike signs “for a fair contract.”

The Chicago Teachers Union abandoned about 360,000 students across the city last week to strike for a massive raise and hundreds of new Chicago Public Schools employees the city can’t afford. Myers was among about 26,000 CTU teachers and another 8,000 support workers with the Service Employees International Union who ditched class Thursday despite reports the CTU and Chicago Public Schools are largely in agreement on terms for a new contract that’s been under negotiation since January.

CTU President Jesse Sharkey is vowing to hold out for a “just contract” that provides “real solutions” for “better conditions in our schools,” though he’s offering few specifics about what the union actually wants. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, meanwhile, is pleading with the CTU to halt the selfish tantrum, for the sake of students, The Chicago Tribune reports.

“What we’ve seen is that our students and families are sacrificing a great deal that cannot be recovered. While we have made progress at the bargaining table, it is unclear that we can reach an agreement today given the current pace,” Lightfoot wrote in a public letter to Sharkey on Monday.

“The students and families of Chicago cannot afford to be out of school for any longer, which is why we are asking you to end the strike and encourage your members to return to work while bargaining continues,” she wrote.

Lightfoot spelled out exactly how the CTU strike is ruining opportunities for students and hurting families across the city.

“In recent days, parents have told us how they are struggling to arrange childcare or face missing work. The economic hardships to families will be difficult to ever calculate,” she wrote. “Seniors applying to college told us they are worried about their applications and letters of recommendation. In fact, a college fair at Whitney young scheduled over the weekend had to be canceled.

“The Simeon football team, one of the top programs in Illinois, will be ineligible for the state playoffs if the strike is not resolved by Tuesday. Our girls tennis teams were forced to forfeit every match in the state tournament this weekend. Our boys soccer teams, including Solorio High School, looking for its second championship in three years, were unable to participate in the state playoffs.”

On the upside, Myers made a sweet scarf, or something.

He proudly displayed his creation for WTTW – a lovely piece with a light blue and white checkered border with “Mather” spelled out down the center. In schools across the city, teachers stood in the cold on the sidewalk with picket signs, rather than in their warm classrooms, as the strike canceled the third consecutive day of classes on Monday.

CTU members, who each pay over $1,000 per year in dues, marched downtown demanding “Lori Lightfoot open your purse. Every school deserves a nurse,” but folks following the contract negotiations contend Chicago taxpayers would be in for quite a shock if the union gets its way.

WGN9 reports:

To meet the CTU’ demands, the Illinois Policy Institute said the typical Chicago homeowner’s property tax bill would rise by at least $235, while Mayor Lightfoot’s offer would add $13 to the bill.

Mayor Lightfoot said if she agrees to everything the teachers want it would cost $2.5 billion per year.

“That would double the cost of the CTU contract agreeing to an extra $2.5 billion in cost would be completely irresponsible,” Mayor Lightfoot said.

The average CPS teacher currently takes home $71,000 per year in salary, WGN9 reports, though many also earn stipends and other payments for coaching sports, chaperoning events, working as student club advisors, serving on advisory boards and hundreds of other duties. City officials reportedly offered teachers a 16 percent raise over five years, but union officials turned down the deal, preferring a 15 percent raise over three years, CBS Chicago reports.