Chicago, IL - Negotiations between the Chicago Teachers Union and the nation's third-largest school district were going down to the wire on Sunday, as teachers threaten to strike on Monday over Mayor Rahm Emanuel's demand for sweeping school reforms.

Both sides expressed varying degrees of optimism on Saturday night about chances for a resolution, although school district officials sounded more hopeful than union leaders. School board President David Vitale said he thought the district's latest proposal was "very close" to what was needed for a deal. Talks resume on Sunday morning.

Some 29,000 teachers and support staff could walk off the job on Monday, setting up a confrontation between Emanuel, President Barack Obama's former top White House aide, and organized labor in the president's home city.

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