07 September 2012 By Stephen
Lendman Except for Harold Washington
(1983 - 1987), Chicago never had populist mayors.
Father (Richard J.) and son (Richard M.) Daley ran the
city like their private fiefdom for over 40 years. In his book "Boss," noted
journalist Mike Royko described Richard J. as follows: "If ever a man reflected a city,
it was Richard J. Daley." He was "strong (and)
hard-driving." He had Texas-sized ambitions. He was
also "arrogant, crude, conniving, ruthless,
suspicious, intolerant, raucous, hot-tempered,
devious, big and powerful." He was Chicago. Time magazine said Richard M. "wield(ed)
near-imperial power." Current Mayor Rahm Emanuel
matches them and then some. Add war criminal and
corporate predator to his credentials. As White House
chief of staff, he was part of Obama's war cabinet. As
Chicago mayor, he's waging it against labor. Candidate Emanuel promised
draconian anti-worker cuts. Chicago's budget deficit
must be attacked, he said. "No sacred cows" are
tolerable, he stressed. "Tough choices" must be made. As mayor, workers struggling to
get by are targeted. Slash and burn is policy.
Layoffs, wage freezes, and benefit cuts notably
affecting healthcare and pensions followed. Teachers
were hit hard. After one month in office, he
rescinded a contractual 4% raise owed them. Weeks
later, he fired 1,000 summarily. School closings
eliminate more jobs. He wants more closed, larger
class sizes, longer school days at no extra pay, and
other draconian measures creating greater hardships. He wants Chicago schools
privatized and made another business profit center.
Richard M. began the process. Emanuel wants it
completed. He wants education sacrificed for bottom
line priorities. He wants Chicago schools run by
marketplace rules. He wants labor rights abolished. He
put bureaucrats in charge of what's best for children.
He created a two-tiered, class and income-based
system. It favors affluent communities over poor
ones. Teachers have no rights. Poor
kids are denied real education. Emanuel's destroying
their futures. He's more tyrant than mayor. He
reflects the worst of city governance. On August 30, the Chicago
Teachers Union (CTU) held perhaps its largest ever
meeting. Hundreds attended. Presiding officers
included president Karen Lewis, vice president Jesse
Sharkey, financial secretary Kristine Mayle, and
recording secretary Michael Brunson. A large screen displayed CTU
resolve, saying: "RESOLVED that the House of
Delegate shall set a strike date of September 10,
2012. The strike is necessary to achieve a labor
contract with acceptable wages, benefits and job
protections; and for all other purposes for which a
strike is authorized under law. The strike is also
necessary to protest unfair labor practices committed
by CPS against out membership." Without a fair and equitable
contract, members unanimously approved the resolution.
An Executive Board motion requested it. CTU president
Lewis called for ayes. The hall roared. She then asked
for nays. Silence followed. Schools were already in session.
Over 240 so-called Track E ones operate year round. A special House of Delegates
meeting also approved a resolution calling for other
union members to wear red in solidarity with
teachers. Chicago is occupied territory. At
midnight Sunday night, teachers walked out. It's their
first strike in 25 years. On Monday, the
Chicago Tribune
headlined "CPS, teachers fail to reach deal to prevent
strike," saying: Despite progress on some issues,
both sides remain far apart on others. CPS (Chicago
Public Schools) officials have a contingency plan.
They'll open 144 schools from 8:30 AM - 12:30PM. At
issue is whether state law will be observed. It
prohibits CPS from offering classroom instruction
without certified teachers. "Parents are being urged to find
alternatives and use the schools only as a last
resort." Charter ones aren't affected.
They operate as quasi-private ones. Veteran English
teacher/union delegate Jay Rehak spoke for others,
saying: "I think people feel like they've
been bullied, so they're (saying) 'OK, let's do this
this. Let's dance.' We know a strike is really going
to be painful. People will be hurt on both sides. But
in the end, it's like saying, ‘I'll be bloodied and
you'll be bloodied, but at least you'll know not to
bully me again.' " The nation's third largest school
system is affected. Picket lines formed in front of
City Hall. They're also at school system central and
other administrative offices. Monday morning, they spread
across over 600 schools. More than 20,000 teachers
were joined by other school employees, parents and
students. School Board president David
Vitale and CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard never
negotiated in good faith. In fact, they weren't
directly involved. A highly paid private law firm
represented them. CEO Brizard never appeared at
bargaining sessions. His absence showed contempt for
teacher rights. He and Vitale reflect top-down
Emanuel-imposed diktat authority. Claims about too little money in
the system don't wash. They reflect efforts to divert
city resources for corporate interests at the expense
of vital services. Chicago schools, teachers, and
support staff have been hit hard. They and other city
workers bear the brunt of draconian budget cuts. Negotiations began last November.
Dozens of sessions were held. No agreement was
reached. At 10PM Sunday, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU)
president Karen Lewis issued a formal statement. In
part it said: "CPS (Chicago Public Schools)
FAILS TO NEGOTIATE FAIR CONTRACT TO PREVENT FIRST
LABOR STRIKE IN 25 YEARS" "More than 29,000 teachers and
education professionals will not report to work today
9/10" "After hours of intense
negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have failed to reach an
agreement that will prevent the first teachers strike
in 25 years." "Pickets are expected to begin
Monday at 675 schools and the Board of Education as
early as 6:30 a.m. Teachers, paraprofessionals and
school clinicians have been without a labor agreement
since June of this year." "Union leaders expressed
disappointment in the District's refusal to concede on
issues involving compensation, job security and
resources for their students." "We must do things differently in
this city if we are to provide our students with the
education they so rightfully deserve." "We want job security." Thousands
of teachers' jobs are at stake. "As we continue to
bargain in good faith, we stand in solidarity with
parents, clergy and community-based organizations who
are advocating for smaller class sizes, a better
school day and an elected school board. Class size
matters." "….(W)e do not intend to sign an
agreement until (all key) matters are addressed." "….(W)e are committed to staying
at the table until a contract is in place. However, in
the morning no CTU member will be inside our schools.
We will walk the picket lines. We will talk to
parents." "We will talk to clergy. We will
talk to the community. We will talk to anyone who will
listen. We demand a fair contract today. We demand a
fair contract now. And, until there is one in place
that our members accept, we will on the line." "We stand in solidarity with our
brothers and sisters throughout the state and country
who are currently bargaining for their own fair
contracts. We stand with those who have already
declared they too are prepared to strike, in the best
interests of their students." The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU)
represents 30,000 teachers and educational support
staff. They serve more than 400,000 students and
families. They reject Emanuel's diktats. They want
equity and justice. Last May, teachers and Occupy
Chicago members staged school sit-ins. They picketed
school board meetings. They chanted "fight" and
"strike." Outside the downtown Auditorium Theater,
they rallied for rights Emanuel wants destroyed. Over 90% of union members
endorsed striking. A new state law requires 75%.
Legislators thought tough rules would prevent them.
They guessed wrong. Major issues are at stake. They
include unfair reduced education funding, job
security, draconian teacher evaluation standards,
tying their pay to testing, weakened seniority rights,
recall procedures for those laid off from school
closings, equitable pay and benefits, class size,
longer unpaid school days, inadequately heated and
cooled classrooms, and key wrap around services. They include psychologists,
social workers, nurses, no library facilities in many
schools, standardized testing, loss of experienced
teachers, abandonment of arts, drama, music and
language classes, and school privatization plans. Throughout negotiations, CTU
officials were flexible. They remain so. They'll bend
on some issues, but not key ones too important to
lose. School Board/CPS negotiators are hardline.
Emanuel demands it. On September 9, Women's Media Center co-founder Gloria Steinem issued the following statement: "Tonight, I proudly wear a red t-shirt in support of the Chicago Teachers Union strike. They have been forced to strike for the first time in 25 years - by the false economy of firing and penalizing the experienced teachers most needed by the students and by new teachers; by lengthening the school day as warehousing without educational services, healthy school buildings, and paid teachers; by what they have the knowledge to call the 'apartheid-like system' of differential discipline policies; and by what seems to be a national tactic of demonizing teachers in order to turn public schools into corporate profit centers." She cited a Stanford Study. It found public school students outperform charter ones. A 1994 Money magazine report concluded that: "students who attend the best public schools outperform most private school students, that the best public schools offer a more challenging curriculum than most private schools, and that the private school advantage in test scores is due to their selective admission policies." Nonetheless, public education in Chicago and across America is on the chopping block for elimination. So-called education reform facilitates it. George Bush's 2001 No Child Left Behind Act took direct aim. On January 8, 2002, it became law. It's long on testing, school choice, and market-based reforms. It's short on real achievement. It's built around rote learning, standardized tests, requiring teachers to "teach to the test," assessing results by Average Yearly Progress (AYP) scores, and punishing failure harshly. Teachers and principles are fired. Schools are closed. Others become charter or for-profit ones. Total privatization is planned. A 377 year tradition is being destroyed. Diogenes called education "the foundation of every state." Horace Mann said "(t)he common (public) school is the greatest discovery ever made by man." He called it the "great equalizer common" to all. It's fast disappearing in America. Obama's Race to the Top follows the same destructive path. It pits one state against another, promotes school closures, endorses mass teacher/staff layoffs, and mandates wage and benefit cuts. It's a draconian scheme to qualify for federal funding. It force-feeds its mandates on states. It's a dagger at public education's heart. It denies millions of American children an educational foundation to build on. Chicago schools alone have been wrecked by closures, teacher firings, budget cuts, militarized high schools, growing numbers of quasi-private charter schools, and kids hung out to dry for bottom line priorities. Emanuel demands more. He wants city schools privatized. He wants kids cheated out of futures. His world isn't fit to live in. How can it be under marketplace inequality. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War" http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour Comments 💬 التعليقات |