The Chicago Teachers Union isn’t happy about the prospect of forgoing a pay raise to help patch the disctrict’s budget deficit.

Chicago Public Schools is projecting a nearly $ 1 billion deficit for next year, thanks to ballooning pension costs and a scheduled four percent salary hike for teachers.

Mayor Daley has hinted the Chicago Teachers Union should skip the pay raise.

But don’t tell that to union spokeswoman Rose-Maria Genova.

GENOVA: For us to go back to our members, and tell them that we’re now going to forgo a four-percent salary increase that they deserve is really just something we can’t accept at this time.

Genova says it was the Mayor’s office that pushed for the four percent hike in the first place.

She says it should have been able to foresee the revenue shortfall.

And she faults Chicago Public Schools for not paying into the teachers’ pension fund while the economy was strong.