CTU Strikes of 2012 and 2019

Karen Lewis and Bargaining for the Common Good by Cindy Zucker

In 2010, CORE, the Caucus of Rank and File Educators, with Karen Lewis at the helm, were elected to the leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union.  They had a mandate to empower members to take on privatization, austerity, high stakes testing, and systematic underfunding of schools serving a majority of students of color.  This was a break with the previous policies of  the Democratic Party, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and previous CTU leadership.

CTU 2012 Strike

A major shift in the fight for public education

Karen Lewis and CORE emphasized a policy of bargaining for the common good:  getting a  fair contract for educators while also fighting for resources that students and communities needed.  They combined social justice issues with rank and file engagement in the 2012 strike.  They conducted a massive grassroots campaign that involved educators, parents, and community organizations.   

The Chicago teachers strike of 2012 made national and international headlines and marked a major shift in the fight for public education.  After seven days on the picket lines, 26,000 teachers and school staff went back to the classroom with a new contract, a 17% pay raise over the course of the contract, but also a new direction.  Teacher strikes erupted across the nation, in West Virginia, Arizona, Minnesota, Los Angeles and others followed, with many demands based on the CTU model.

2013 School Closings and the ‘Turnaround” Model

In 2013, Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed 49 public schools in Chicago, mostly in Latino and African American communities.  He opened many charter schools and pushed a ‘turnaround” model of firing the entire staff of schools with low test scores, emphasized standardized testing and merit pay for teachers.

CTU 2019 Strike

Won multiple historic victories

In response to the Mayor’s attack on their members, in 2019 CTU went on strike again, this time with SEIU 73 joining them.  Once again, the CTU mounted a massive strike campaign in alliance with community organizations that lasted for 14 days.  

The agreement that they obtained included millions of dollars dedicating to reduce class size, hundreds more social workers, nurses and librarians, and a 16% salary increase over five years. Demands were made to provide housing for all of Chicago’s homeless students.  Through ongoing legislative efforts, the union had secured the right to bargain over provisions that had restricted them in the past.  Another historic gain was the establishment of a process toward an elected school board.  

The election of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

In the words of Jackson Potter, vice-president of the CTU, “If 2012 was a fight for the soul of public education, 2023 and beyond will be a fight to determine whether or not union power – locally and nationally – can truly translate into political power.”  The election of Brandon Johnson, a former teacher and CTU organizer, to become Mayor of the City of Chicago is an indication that CTU has become an important political force in Chicago and national politics.