North Carolina Labor Supports Chicago Teachers

Resolution Supporting Striking Chicago Teachers

Adopted by North Carolina AFL-CIO Convention (September 13-14, 2012)

Whereas, 26,000 Chicago public school teachers represented by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have been forced to strike in defense of their jobs and public education. 98% of the members voted to authorize the strike, and

Whereas, this significant labor battle is not only in defense of job security and quality education but also in defense of their union at a time when public sector workers and unions as well as the entire labor movement are under intense attack by Wall Street and corporate interests, and

Whereas, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and the Chicago School Board proposals call for closing “failing schools” which would then either be directly privatized or made into charter schools, both staffed by non-union personnel, and

Whereas, Mayor Emmanuel’s proposals also include basing teacher advancement and job security on results of standardized testing, in essence blaming public sector teachers for the societal problems of poverty and discrimination. This could result in 6,000 union teachers losing their jobs, and

Whereas, the Chicago Teachers Union, the oldest AFT Local in the country, is fighting the good fight, refusing to bow to these anti-public teacher, anti-student and anti-union concessions, and

Whereas, a foundation of our labor movement is “Solidarity Forever”. Therefore be it,

Resolved that the NC AFL-CIO Convention, convened this September 13-14, 2012, salute the fighting Chicago teachers, extend our solidarity in the spirit that “an injury to one is an injury to all” and a victory in Chicago will be a victory for all unions, and be it further

Resolved, that all affiliates of the NC AFL-CIO be encouraged to stand in solidarity with the Chicago public teachers, and be it further

Resolved that this Resolution be forwarded to the Chicago Teachers Union, the American Federation of Teachers, the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win Coalition.

Tags: Chicago Teachers Union, NC AFL-CIO, North Carolina