LABOR BEAT: Video of the CTU Protest at Bank of America against 'toxic swaps'... and the Anti-Layoff March...
Protesters began at the Bank of America offices on LaSalle St. in Chicago. Labor Beat photo.In early February 2016, the Chicago Teachers Union led a large march against Chicago Public Schools and the school district's refusal to negotiate the "toxic swaps" will the large banks. The Labor Beat video link is at: https://youtu.be/APa6ugE_Pl0
In early February, 2016 the Chicago Teachers Union marched against Chicago Public Schools' failing to re-negotiate toxic-swap loans from banks. Suing to get shady interest loan money back from B of A and other banks would help fund public schools. We watch as the union withdraws $750,000 from their B of A bank account in protest. And we cover the big, 3,000-strong march by the CTU against 1,000 layoffs that CPS is threatening.
Mayor Emanuel, who has been 'bunkered up' since the Laquan McDonald shooting scandal, was also not let off the hook. Charles Kotrba, a student leader, said "Rahm has got to go because he's done nothing to fix our public education...there's far too much private interests. He's got to sue Bank of America. They've taken hundreds of millions of dollars from CPS, and without it there's going to be catastrophic consequences." "Mr. Mayor," CTU Recording Secretary Michael Brunson invoked, "a good public school system is the main safeguard and antidote against this rising tide of violence in the City of Chicago." Brunson added: "When this bank was about to fall off a precipice back in 2008 they received a helping hand from taxpayers.
Protesters marched south to the Congress Expressway, which they blocked. Labor Beat photo.Now Bank of America is back on its feet and profitable yet is unwilling to help keep from pushing Chicago schools off the same cliff." Produced by Labor Beat. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner, and member of the Evanston Community Media Center. Labor Beat is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member of IBEW 1220. Views are those of the producer Labor Beat. For info: mail@laborbeat.org, www.laborbeat.org. 312-226-3330. For other Labor Beat videos, visit YouTube and search "Labor Beat". On Chicago CAN TV Channel 19, Thursdays 9:30 pm; Fridays 4:30 pm. Labor Beat has regular cable slots in Chicago, Evanston, Rockford, Urbana, IL; Philadelphia, PA; Princeton, NJ; and Rochester, NY.
