Occupy to provide support for upcoming Chicago teachers' strike
The night before the monthly meeting of the Chicago Board of Education, on June 26, 2012, more than 125 representatives of various labor and community organizations, called to a meeting by Occupy Chicago, met and planned support for the Chicago Teachers Union in the union's upcoming confrontation with the national plutocracy as the union's 26,000 members moved towards a massive strike in September that will shut down the nation's third largest public school system.
On July 2, Norine Gutekanst of the Chicago Teachers Union sent the following out:
Brothers and Sisters,
As you may have heard, last Tuesday June 26, the Chicago Teachers Solidarity Committee was launched. Sponsored by the Occupy Chicago Labor Outreach Committee, the founding meeting was attended by 110 interested participants. All present want to help the CTU to win our contract fight. Several subcommittees were set up:
* Labor Outreach
* Events and Outreach
* Student support
* Research & Messaging
* Community & Parent Outreach
* Social Media and Press
The committee will meet again, tonight, Monday, July 2, at 6:30 p.m. Location: Workers United Hall, 333 South Ashland. Parking is available in a free lot in the back.
CORE members are encouraged to participate, begin to work with a committee and help to shape the activities of each committee. Your presence will signal the importance that CORE places in building city-wide parent, community, student & labor support for our fight.
I hope we can have a sustained and positive presence in this committee.
In solidarity,
Norine G.
By: David R. Stone
Grassroots vs Astroturf
In sharp contrast to the "Stand for Children" meeting I covered the day before, this "Occupy Chicago CTU Solidarity" meeting represents true grassroots.
One key difference: To get its message out, the Occupy meeting was selling T-shirts with a pro-union, pro-public school message -- yet didn't have the cash to pre-order the shirts. People paid at the meeting, for promised delivery later.
By contrast, to get Stand's message out, millionaire supporters simply bought radio ads with some actors pretending to be concerned parents.
As we saw in Wisconsin, it could be a close fight between "One person, one vote" vs. "One dollar, one vote."
-David R. Stone
laid-off CPS teacher & volunteer Substance reporter