Voices from the Chicago Teachers Strike | Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility

Voices from the Chicago Teachers Strike | Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility:

VOICES FROM THE CHICAGO TEACHERS STRIKE

Submitted by Jinnie Spiegler on Thu, 09/13/2012 - 11:10

Area: 

Current Issues

Grade Level: 

High School

Topic: 

Economy

Education

Tags: 

labor

Description: 

Students learn about what unions and strikes are, then read and discuss different perspectives on the 7-day strike by Chicago Teachers Union strike, which ended on September 19, 2012.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
 

• Students will learn what it means to strike
   
• Students will learn what role a union plays in work actions like strikes
   
• Students will learn about some different perspectives on the Chicago Teachers Union strike
   
• Students will reflect on and analyze the different points of view.
   

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BACKGROUND

CHICAGO TEACHERS’ STRIKE

On Monday, September 10, 2012, the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike.  The strike, which lasted seven days, involved 30,000 teachers and left 350,000 children without classes.  On September 17, teachers suspended their strike and went back to work after union leaders came to a tentative agreement with the city. The agreement includes compromises on both sides.

This was the first strike by Chicago teachers in 25 years, and the first teachers’