Thursday, April 5, 2012

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Strike support spreads to 150 schools. « Fred Klonsky

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Strike support spreads to 150 schools. « Fred Klonsky:


Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Strike support spreads to 150 schools.


Negotiating a teacher union contract in this town ain’t mumbly peg, to paraphrase the late Harold Washington.
If Rahm thought he was going to roll over Chicago teachers, he must have the City confused with his more effete hometown of Wilmette.
Votes of strike support have spread from two high schools at the beginning of the week to 150 schools today.
Karen Lewis, CTU President:

Lewis said teachers are madder than she has seen them in 25 years — including in 1987, when then-firebrand CTU President Jackie Vaughn led the union in a 19-day walkout.

“Chicago teachers and paraprofessionals are fed up,” Lewis said. “They are tired of being blamed, bullied and belittled by the very district that should be supporting them. …

“They live in a city that has done everything it can to take the joy out of teaching