It’s official: the Chicago Teachers Union is on strike.
That was clear Monday morning when clusters of teachers, parents and students held signs while marching in front of schools. At some schools, they were chanting for what they called a fair contract. The cars that whizzed reflected the varying opinions Chicagoans have about the strike. Most cars blared their horns in support, there were a couple of thumbs down and even the occasional middle finger.
[Photos by Jonathan Gibby and Lucio Villa]
Teachers pick up picketing signs and other materials from the Chicago Teachers Union strike headquarters on the morning of Sept.10, 2012. Talks broke down on the final day of negotiations between the CTU and the district, sparking the city’s first teachers strike in 25 years. Photo by Jonathan Gibby.
Two youths walk past a line of protesters shouting in front of John Marshall Metropolitan High School during the first day of the Chicago Teachers Union Strike on Sept. 10, 2012. With 26,000 teachers not attending work, many were left worrying about what would happen to the students. Photo by Jonathan Gibby.