Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

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Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), U.S.

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Chicago Public School strikers stand strong.

Chicago, IL – Members of the Chicago Teachers Union members and SEIU Local 73 are in the seventh day of their joint striking. As of Friday, October 25, this strike under Mayor Lori Lightfoot is now equal in length to the strike under Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2012.

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Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and SEIU Local 73 strikers march

Chicago, IL – The joint strike by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and SEIU Local 73 continued October 18 and through the weekend as the office of Mayor Lori Lightfoot continued to refuse to meet the strikers' demands.

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By staff

In the front of the march, President Dian Palmer of SEIU Local 73 (in middle)

Chicago, IL – Picket lines went up at hundreds of schools across Chicago at 6:30 a.m., October 17. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) walked out for their third strike since 2012. For the more than 7000 members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, this is an historic first strike, and the first against the new mayor, Lori Lightfoot.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Teachers Union released totals of the September 24-26 strike authorization vote, on September 26. The CTU Rules and Election Committee reported that as of 9:30 p.m., the union passed the 75% threshold of members voting “yes.” 94% of teachers, clinicians, PSRPs, nurses and librarians voted to authorize a strike to win the schools Chicago’s students deserve.

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By Fight Back! Editors

As the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) find itself locked in tough contract negotiations and faces the possibility of a strike, corporate and right-wing media like the Chicago Tribune, Breitbart and others have launched a bizarre attack that seems like it is straight out of the 1950s red scare. Rather than addressing the real problems impacting teachers and students in Chicago schools, these reactionary pundits have decided the rant and rave about – of all things – a delegation of teachers that traveled to Venezuela earlier this summer.

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By Fabiana Casas

CTU Organizer Richard Berg, Javier Castillo, Special Education Teacher Sarah Cha

Caracas, Venezuela – A delegation of members from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) arrived in Caracas, Venezuela last week. Their goals were to learn what they could from Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution, exchange views on effective education and to show solidarity with the students, teachers and social movements of Venezuela.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members at charter schools are reforming the industry one charter operator at a time and that campaign won better working conditions for educators and better learning conditions for students at two charter schools run by Instituto del Progresso Latino. Teachers and support staff from two schools, Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy and Instituto Justice Leadership Academy, had been on strike against the charter operator since the end of the day on May 1. The tentative agreement was finalized just before 11 p.m. on May 6.

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By staff

IHSCA Teacher Jose Morales

Chicago, IL – Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members at as many as ten more charter schools could be on the picket lines on May 1 – May Day – in what would be the third CTU strike against charter operators this school year.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – Five charter schools could face strikes in coming weeks, as educators battle for living wages, adequate student supports, pension rights and protections for immigrant and diverse learners.

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By staff

Chicago Teachers Union CICS strike captain Jamal Barnes fires up union strikers.

Chicago, IL – Solidarity matters. Teachers and paraprofessionals at the Chicago International Charter Schools hit the picket lines at 6:00 a.m. on February 5 and stayed out until they had won what they needed at 3:15 a.m. on February 17. What they need was smaller class sizes for their students, adequate staffing for special education students, maternity leave for educators and a wage scale close enough to the Chicago Public School teachers to bring some measure of stability to the classroom.

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By staff

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Chicago, IL – The strike by members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) at CICS charter schools entered its second week, February 11. More than 175 unionized educators at four schools run by charter operator CICS – Chicago International Charter Schools – are walking the picket lines for better conditions, better pay and the schools their students deserve. The strikers are keeping their spirits high, despite more than a week of picketing in the cold and dark.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #ChicagoTeachersUnion #Strikes #TeachersUnions #charterSchools #CICS

By staff

Chicago, IL – Top CICS bureaucrats have put management greed ahead of student need, forcing a strike at four unionized schools in the profitable charter operator's 14-school stable, February 5.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – UNO/Acero teachers and paraprofessionals continue to strike at 15 schools, December 7. Since Tuesday, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) educators at UNO/Acero schools have held the picket lines and protested for more classroom resources, smaller class sizes, sanctuary protections for their immigrant students and fair wages—particularly for low-wage paraprofessionals.

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By staff

CTU picket line at Acero Marquez.

Chicago, IL – Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff at 15 charter schools run by the Acero charter network (formerly known as UNO) are in the second day of their historic strike.

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By staff

CTU press conference announces strike plans.

Chicago, IL – “The charter schools are working educators to the bone, yet still not adequately staffing our classrooms. This isn’t fair to the students or the teachers, and we’re not going to take it,” states Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Charter Division Chairman Chris Baehrend.

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By staff

Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey Announces strike authorization vo

Chicago, IL – Strikes are on the agenda. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) made this perfectly clear, turning out more than 250 people on October 24 for a rally to announce strike authorization votes at 19 charter schools next week. The votes will occur at two of the largest charter networks: Acero (formerly UNO, famous for scandals) and Chicago International Charter School (CICS).

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By Jazmine Salas

Karen Lewis, president of CTU, speaking in support of Sarah Chambers.

CHICAGO, IL- The movement to ‘Let Sarah Chambers Teach’ has grown since her May termination from Maria Saucedo Academy. An online petition calling for her reinstatement has gathered nearly 4000 signatures; a support rally organized in April drew a crowd of over 100, and 28 aldermen have re-leased letters of support for the educator.

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By staff

Chicago, IL – In an historic vote, members of ChiACTS Local 4343, the union of charter school educators in Chicago, voted overwhelmingly to unify with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), June 9. CTU members will vote on unification with ChiACTS this fall. Ballots from union charter schools were counted after the close of the Friday school day. Final vote counts of the 1,000-strong union were 671 in favor and 130 against unifying – or about 84% of voting members supporting unification.

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By staff

#LetSarahTeach say 200 supporters of Sarah Chambers, beloved facing termination.

Chicago, IL – Several hundred people gathered on the lawn of Maria Saucedo Academy today, April 18, in an after-school to rally in support of Sarah Chambers, who has been suspended and faces termination. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s appointed school board is coming after this teacher for her role in the fight to defend the public schools and Special Education. The crowd included students, parents, teachers, Chicago Teachers Union activists, trade unionists from other unions, and groups from the Palestinian and Filipino communities. Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia spoke and demanded that Chambers be returned to her students immediately. Rasmea Odeh, the Palestinian community activist persecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice, also came out to show her solidarity.

#ChicagoIL #WomensMovement #PeoplesStruggles #teachers #ChicagoTeachersUnion #TeachersUnions

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