At 6:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 10 more than 26,000 teachers wearing red t-shirts and carrying strike signs picketed around 650-plus public schools to show support for their union during contract negotiations.

For more than three months the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU) and Mayor Rahm Emanuel have been unable to come to a unified contract agreement leading CTU president, Karen Lewis no choice other than to call a strike. The strike is supported by roughly 90 percent of Chicago’s teachers.

At Haugan School, which is located on Chicago’s northwest side, dozens of teachers wearing the signature red t-shirt were carrying signs demanding: smaller class sizes, more social services for the students, support for teachers as professionals, and fair teacher evaluations and contracts.

Parents in support of the teachers showed up providing donuts, coffee, and bottled water. Some of the students joined their teachers carrying self-made signs reading “On Strike.” Supporting members of the community joined Haugan teachers as they marched around the school. Also, nearly every car passing by sounded their horn in show of their support for the teachers marching in the strike. All CPS teachers are prepared to march every day until fair negotiations are met.

During the strike there will be 144 “Children First” public schools that will keep their doors open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Haugan is one of those schools and will supply students with both breakfast and lunch. Students will also participate in various activities that will be directed and supervised by non-union staff from the CPS central office.
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