Chicago Teachers Strike: On First Day, Passion, Confusion Rule The Streets
It started early in the morning and crescendoed in the afternoon, with thousands upon thousands of teachers clad in red union shirts swarming downtown Chicago, snaking through its streets, and stopping only to rally in front of Chicago Public Schools headquarters.The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is on strike for the first time in 25 years. After months of failed negotiations with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration, they're picketing instead of teaching. On Monday, they held signs that said "on strike," wielded a gigantic paper mache imitation of Emanuel's head, and chanted things like, "What do we want? A fair contract. When do we want it? Now."
But as the sun set over the Windy City, it was still unclear what tomorrow would bring. CTU President Karen Lewis reportedly stepped into negotiations as late as 11:30 a.m. Monday, a move that angered Emanuel. Lewis is expected to appear later on MSNBC's "The Ed Show," but CTU representatives did not respond to multiple