Chicago Teachers Uprising Takes on a 1 Percent Mayor, and the Labor Establishment to Boot

[proud2BlibKansan]

Chicago teachers could hardly be more united in their disgust at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s assault on public education. More than 98 percent voted to authorize a strike, which union activists say is as much about defending students and parents as it is about the economics of their contract. And while school has already started in the Windy City, the nation’s third largest school system could be shut down by next week, setting off a confrontation between a militant rank-and-file teacher movement and the mainstream of the labor movement and its allies, the Democratic Party.

Mainstream media have focused on the economic issues, the union’s rejection of 2-percent raises and merit pay, as the meager raises would be offset by cuts to healthcare benefit concessions. But what makes this possible work stoppage different--the first big-city teachers strike since a 16-day walk-out in Detroit in 2006--is that the union is making this a fight in defense of parents and students. “It’s central to who they are,” said Steven Ashby, a professor at the Labor Education Program at the University of Illinois-Chicago who has been consulting for the union. “Fighting for smaller class sizes, a social worker in every school, a nurse in every school, pretty much what all the suburban schools have.”

The countdown to a strike is a showdown between the Chicago Teachers Union’s reformist president Karen Lewis--who was elected in the summer of 2010, ending decades of top-down leadership--and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama’s former Chief of Staff, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention as Chicago was preparing for a strike. The stand-off is a wake-up call for unions who every election year throw their time and energy into electing Democrats, who happily accept union funds and use members as door-knockers.

CTU bargaining committee member Sarah Chambers explained that the union's united effort to authorize a strike was emblematic of the anger toward the Emanuel administration’s spending on charter school expansion and dedication to testing. Chambers estimated that the city spends $100 million on charter school expansion and that “if you took just half of the money for charters we could have an entire city of small class sizes.”

more . . . http://www.alternet.org/labor/chicago-teachers-uprising-takes-1-percent-mayor-and-labor-establishment-boot

[ananda]

1. Go teachers! Go unions!

Forward!

[HiPointDem]

2. kr

[senseandsensibility]

3. I'm sorry that it came to this.

However, I put the blame where it belongs and it's not with the teachers. They will do what they have to do, and I support them. In the end, they are fighting for the children, their own working conditions, the parents....everyone but one percenters that want to privatize education.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Exactly.

Many of the elementary schools in Chicago don't even have libraries.

[knitter4democracy]

8. Our district wants us to take an 8% pay cut.

This on top of frozen wages for three years and making us pay more for health insurance, too.

Funny how the administration didn't take a pay cut at all and don't have to pay more for their health insurance...

[knitter4democracy]

15. Exactly.

Our union has turned down everything so far, and we're in year 3 of contract negotiations. It's really bad.

Ultimately, the 1% want to profit off schools and screw everyone else. Public schools under massive attack if only people could see.

[Teamster Jeff]

23. Yep

When Rahm Emanual came back to Chicago to run for mayor the first person to back his run was Juan Rangel the head of United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) which is the most powerful Hispanic group in Chicago. By the way the UNO is also the largest charter school operator in the state. Later, Rahm appointed Rangel to the Public Buildings Commision because thats the way things work in Chicago. What scheme needs public buildings to work? Charter Schools.

Rahm "fuck the UAW" learned in Washington not to directly slam Unions so Rangel gets that job here in Chicago. Rangel has joined with Chicago's 1% the Pritzker familily and Bruce Rauner to push for public school privitization as well as other "school reforms" which are actually nothing more than union busting schemes.

I stand behind the Chicago Teachers Union.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021306688

[Drale]

51. It really doesn't matter what Rahm's long term plans are

He's making far to many enemies. When he needs to run again, not only will the Unions not endorse him, they didn't last time either, they will actively campaign against him. He's done as mayor of Chicago. The reason Daily last so long was because he had the support of the Unions.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Ours bought us shirts

They want us to wear them once a month.

I guess making all the employees dress alike will raise test scores.

[knitter4democracy]

32. I'm trying to talk ours into buying us shirts.

We have school colors day on Fridays (college day is Weds), and we're working hard to build up school spirit. They won't pay for the shirts, though. *sighs*

[Smarmie Doofus]

31. The zillionaires that are calling the shots bought off the school admins in NYC.

They need "cops" to implement "reform". So the admins get a special tier for benefits, pay raises and basically get to come and go as they please ( i.e. don't have to account for their time.).

What a system.

[Wilms]

5. Rahmald Reagan

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Most of us DU teachers know this.

Can't speak for others.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. They are focusing on bad policies that harm children.

Privatization is only one piece. The CTU motto is: FIGHTING FOR SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN DESERVE

I'm outraged that schools in Chicago don't have libraries. That's so basic. Or nurses.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. SOME of the elementary schools, not sure how many.

I don't know about the high schools.

But I can't imagine a school without a library.

[AnneD]

48. Thanks for posting this....

I did not know the particulars, but I knew it had to be pretty bad for teachers to strike. My hat's off and heart goes out to my brothers and sisters in Chicago.

They closed some libraries here and got rid of staff. Every school should have a librarian, nurse, and counselor. It is the best ways to enrich these kids lives. Their parents are walking such an economic tight rope these days and the kids keep falling through the holes in the safety net.

[sabrina 1]

49. It doesn't sound like there's much difference between what Rahm is doing in Chicago and

what Scott Walker is doing in Wisconsin.

You should make this an OP. People outside of Chicago are not aware of all that has been going on there since Rahm took over.

They pay millions to litter the media and the internet with their propaganda and as I understand it, have even made documentaries to promote these horrible policies.

Our only weapon is to keep spreading the facts wherever possible.

I can't understand how Rahm Emanuel was elected. What is wrong with Chicago, don't they have any real Democrats they could have run for that office?

[DonP]

14. My daughter is a strike captain at her school on the North Side

She worked with Karen Lewis at Lane Tech for years and said Karen is the smartest person the union has ever had and NOT a political appointee type that will be bought off by an offer for a state job to shut her up.

Rahm has his minions already talking to the Tribune and other media outlets about "decertifying" the teachers union "for the good of the children".

His immediate goal is to bring in more corporate run charter schools and use the money he's bleeding from the Chicago schools to fund them.

Like his predecessor Daley, the Chicago media is scared to death of him and reports anything he or his spokescritters say, as if it's Gospel.

Rahm found $25 million in reserves and he has set up "Drop Off" centers at some schools for parents where the ratio of adults to students will be as high as 1 to 100, using anyone they can find, including college students to "manage the children".

Funny thing is he also announced last week that he found another $27 million for new bike paths. No new police hired and no money for the teachers, but $27 million for bike paths.

Nice priorities.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. Best wishes to your daughter!

I love Karen Lewis. She's intelligent, articulate and a fighter. I hope she rises in the AFT ranks. We need many more like her.

[Chisox08]

41. I was a student of Mrs. Lewis at Lane Tech

She was one of my favorite teachers in high school. She tells it like it is. She said the the teachers will not sign a contract until all of their demands are met and you better believe that a contract will not be signed until all of their demands are met.
Rahm Emanuel and his goons wants to try to break the unions plain and simple. It isn't just the teachers it is the crossing guards, the police, fire department and workers in various departments within the city. Rahm is working really hard at being a one term Mayor.

[HiPointDem]

38. i didn't know that. a 30-year credit suisse guy as deputy mayor? unreal. as unreal as the son

of an irgun terrorist as mayor.

[knitter4democracy]

7. The call has gone out on FB: Wear red tomorrow in support!

We're all to wear red tomorrow in support of the CTU and their fight for students and their own rights to fair wages.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. I'm wearing my CTU t-shirt today!

And red to school tomorrow.

[rhett o rick]

10. I wonder if the DU The Third Way'ers will wade in on this. I suspect not. nm

[Zorra]

36. Trashing unions would mobilize hordes of progressives with wooden stakes and big hammers.

[div style="display:inline; background-color:#FFFF66;"][font color="black" size="size" face="face"]~VAN HELSING PEST CONTROL~[/font]
.....

[Jakes Progress]

45. They will sit on their hands and principles

while real people do the real fighting for progressive change and for children.

Instead of calling them third way's, call them what they are: reagan democrats. By their profound silence and their avoidance of this issue will they be identify themselves.

Which side are you on boys? Which side are you on?

[rhett o rick]

50. They have no principles. I have asked repeatedly for them to reveal their principles.

They only disparage me in return. Why are they afraid to state their principles? (rhetorical)

[sabrina 1]

12. Go Unions and Teachers!

Last edited Sun Sep 9, 2012, 02:17 PM - Edit history (1)

Enough of this privatization, these Republican policies that have done nothing but harm this country.

Don't we have some real Democrats who support the working class, rather than DINOs like Rahm, just another right wing Wall Street opportunist posing as a Democrat?

[Vidar]

17. I wish the teachers the best in their fight against the king of the DINOs.

[TBF]

25. Solidarity nt

[Egalitarian Thug]

26. K&R for another "We told you so" moment. n/t

[BuelahWitch]

27. Go teachers!n/t

[mike_c]

28. solidarity!

[xchrom]

29. Du rec. Nt

[datasuspect]

30. rahm is a fucking shitbird

tiny dancer motherfucker.

[Starry Messenger]

33. k&r

[alp227]

34. Detroit had a walkout in 2006?

Interesting. The media I've relied on for coverage of the Chicago strike (NPR, the New York Times, and WBBM radio) gave the impression that the last strike was in 1987 (the last year Chicago teachers went on strike) without talking about the 2006 Detroit strike.

[Chisox08]

42. Maybe they are only talking about strikes in Chicago?

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. Solidarity and yes, it's going off

Truth be told, we will see more strikes.

[suffragette]

37. K&R

[RobertAustin]

39. Another way to help the striking Chicago teachers...

...is to sign this petition to cut the pay of every public school administrator in America.

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-c-a-p-education-reform-proposal-save-america-s-schools-by-cutting-administrators-pay-with-federal-legislation

If they weren't paying too many administrators in Chicago too much money, they could afford to pay teachers there what they're really worth.

If you agree with what the petition says, please don't stop at signing it, but please also spread it to others.

[proud2BlibKansan]

44. Shared!

[NNN0LHI]

40. rec

[lunatica]

43. I support the teachers and their union

My mother was a teacher and a union member in Oakland, California which was one of the worst off in the country for awhile. The Oakland Unified School District was corrupt at the top. The teachers' union took them on and won.

[Jakes Progress]

46. The "liberal" media is already on it.

Just saw this morning on CBS. The bad old teachers were fighting to not be evaluated. The poor children were distraught. The brave rahm was standing up for children. The glorious charters were bravely forging on.

Too many on DU are buying this clap trap.

[proud2BlibKansan]

47. Disgusting, isn't it?

I didn't even turn on the news this morning. I knew it would be just as you described.

[obamanut2012]

52. k&r