Thousands Rally in Chicago Teachers’ Strike, Pushing Back Against Corporatized Education Reform
School is out in Chicago for a second day, as public school teachers continue their first strike in 25 years. Almost 30,000 teachers and their support staff have walked out over reforms sought by the city’s powerful mayor, Rahm Emanuel, who is President Obama’s former chief of staff. On Monday, tens of thousands teachers, parents and students marched in the streets of President Obama’s adopted hometown. We go to Chicago to speak with Democracy Now! correspondent Jaisal Noor.
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Chris Hedges: Dems Owe Chicago Public Teachers Support for "Most Important Labor Action in Decades"
As the Chicago public school teachers’ strike enters its second day, we’re joined by the journalist and author Chris Hedges. "The teachers’ strike in Chicago is arguably one of the most important labor actions in probably decades," Hedges says. "If it does not prevail, you can be certain that the template for the attack on the union will be carried out across the country against other teachers’ unions and against the last redoubt of union activity, which is in the public sector, of course — firemen and police." Hedges continues, "It’s always the ruling class that determines the parameters of rebellion and resistance. And the Chicago strike illustrates the bankruptcy of both traditional labor and the Democratic Party. And that’s why the Occupy movement was so important." Hedges is the author, with illustrator Joe Sacco, of the new book, "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt."
Guest:
Chris Hedges, senior fellow at the Nation Institute. A former foreign correspondent for the New York Times, he was part of a team of reporters awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for the paper’s coverage of global terrorism. He is the author of the new book, Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, with illustrator Joe Sacco.
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