LABOR BEAT: Historic Labor Beat video shows power of the Chicago Teachers Strike of 2012
It was a little over a year ago that the historic Chicago Teachers Union strike took place -- in September 2012. The powerful militancy and wide community support from the 2012 strike is still with us, as it continues to evolve and reverberate nationally and internationally. CTU President Karen Lewis recently was invited to England to be with striking teachers and postal workers there.
Part of the massive march and rally of 30,000 teachers and supporters that took place on the first day of the Chicago Teachers Strike of 2012. The strikers picketed early in the morning and then went to rallies and marches both downtown and at communities across the city. Labor Beat photo by Gary Brooks.In this anniversary Labor Beat video are Interviews and scenes from the picket lines at Amundsen HS, Kenwood Academy, Steinmetz HS, Lawndale Elementary Community Academy, Reilly Elementary, Burley Elementary, Marsh Elementary, Marshall HS, Lane Tech HS, Kelly HS, Monroe Elementary -- all of which are only a small fraction of all the schools that went on strike. The URL for the video is: http://youtu.be/AlG5R0zcOY4
Also scenes from the massive 30,000-strong teacher rally and march in the Loop on Monday, September 10, 2012, the first day of the strike. The march and rally was followed by another massive march on Tuesday. After this rally, a crush of TV cameras and reporters, desperate to get more interview footage, tagged along with CTU President Karen Lewis as she left the event -- a scene which dramatized the tremendous importance of this story for the City as well as for National media.
In this anniversary video, we visit the huge CTU protests and picket lines that targeted schools called by the union �scab schools� where parents were encouraged by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to send their children. Striking teacher Steve Pearson said that Lane Tech �typically can hold 4,000-5,000 students. On Monday [the first day of the strike] we were told to expect 4,200 kids to come here. We had 20. And yesterday it was down to about 10. And today [Wednesday] I�m not sure there are any kids here.� The same was true of the other scab centers, where students joined the teachers on the picket lines after a little confusion during the first day of the strike. There were usually more adults in the scab centers than students, since school workers who were not on strike were ordered into the scab schools.
On Saturday, September 15, 2012, this video was completed. That day, the CTU announced that it had reached a �framework for an agreement� but that the strike has not been suspended as of yet. The union negotiating team pointed out that if specific language would be ready for the House of Delegates meeting to consider on Sunday, they would be able to vote on it then.
Instead of ending the picketing after the Sunday meeting, however, the union's 800-member House of Delegates voted to continue picketing so that all of the strikers could have the time to read and discuss the agreement, an example of the democracy that the CTU leadership had been telling the media and public all along. The strike ended two days later when the House of Delegates voted to take down the picket lines and return to work pending a referendum on the proposed contract. The contract was approved by the membership's vote.
CTU Strike 2012
Chicago CAN TV Channel 19:
Thurs., Oct. 10, 9:30 pm
Fri., Oct. 11, 4:30 pm
Thurs., Oct. 17, 9:30 pm
Fri., Oct. 18, 4:30 pm
Evanston - Cable Channel 6
View stream at link Mon., Nov. 11, 5:30 pm
Wed., Nov. 13, 7:00 pm
Sat., Nov. 16, 12:30 am
Mon., Nov. 18, 5:30 pm
Wed., Nov. 20, 7:00 pm
Sat., Nov. 23, 12:30 am
