WHO’S TO BLAME?
Aldermen back mayor, but parents with teachers
At the risk of further alienating teachers, Emanuel charged that, “We haven’t made any changes in 40 years in this profession.” And he refused to rule out the possibility of filing an unfair labor practices complaint aimed at ending the strike even before there’s a settlement.
The mayor also scoffed at union claims that the new teacher evaluation process, which the union claims puts too much weight on student test scores, could cost 6,000 teachers their jobs.
“I’m more optimistic that the teachers will pass. I have a bigger confidence in the quality of our teachers than they do, which is a little strange,” he said.
Former independent Ald. Dick Simpson (44th) noted that Emanuel has a history of talking tough, then “backing down part-way,” as he did on NATO summit protest rules, library cutbacks and on his signature plan for a longer school day.
“I would expect the same thing to happen this time. If it doesn’t, the story line of the effective CEO or boss running the city is gonna be undercut,” said Simpson, head of the political science department at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
To illustrate the political perils of a protracted strike, Simpson pointed to the “historic example” of Jane Byrne and Chicago firefighters in 1980.
“When Jane Byrne caused the firefighters strike and fought it, she lost the support of labor unions, which is one of the many reasons she lost the next election. It pulled apart the traditional Democratic coalition that governs the city,” Simpson said.
“Rahm didn’t have those unions the first time, and he didn’t need them. But, he may need them in future elections because money may not be enough to control the election, particularly under new state fund-raising rules and the $5,000 limit on contributions from PACs or individuals. You can’t run the city with just business support. You need unions and the public.”
A City Hall insider, who asked to remain anonymous, noted that the teachers strike provides the first but not the only test of Emanuel’s labor strength.
“You’ve got police. You’ve got fire. Those [negotiations] aren’t going so well, either. Could all three labor groups be wrong?” the insider said.
Beyond the impact on local politics, there are national implications for Emanuel, who quit his role as an Obama campaign co-chair last week to fund-raise for the Obama- sanctioned SuperPAC because of massive amounts being raised by Republican groups backing Mitt Romney.
Hours before landing in Chicago for a fund-raiser in north suburban Lake Forest, Romney weighed in with a statement that appeared to side with Emanuel against the teachers.
“I am disappointed by the decision by the Chicago Teachers Union to turn its back on not only a city negotiating in good faith, but also the hundreds of thousands of children relying on the city’s public schools to provide them a safe place to receive a strong education,” Romney said.
Emanuel refused to take the political bait.
“While I appreciate Mitt Romney’s statement on behalf of the kids and the parents of Chicago, if he wants to help, he can then determine that, when it comes to his tax cut, he will never cut the Department of Education … .and he will make sure there will never be a cut in any education [program] to pay for his tax cuts for the less fortunate,” Emanuel said.
“What really counts is what we’re doing here. I don’t really give two hoots about national comments scoring political points.”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel called it a “totally avoidable . . . strike of choice.”
But teachers say they had no choice except to walk out for the first time in 25 years after they failed to reach a comprehensive contract deal with Chicago Public Schools.
Even as the two sides continued to negotiate behind closed doors Monday, an increasingly bitter blame game played out in public.
Aldermen almost unanimously fell in line behind the mayor, with Ald. “Proco” Joe Moreno (1st) saying the Chicago Teachers Union was “hellbent on striking,” and Ald. Michele Smith (43rd) warning a protracted strike could send middle-class families fleeing to the suburbs.
But as the strike began, the majority of parents and students at school gates across the city seemed to be taking the teachers’ side. The huge number of motorists honking their horns near picket lines suggested teachers have substantial public support — for now, at least.
“I don’t know if bullying is the word I would use, but my feeling is the mayor is not really listening,” said Jorge Bernal, the father of two students at Peirce School of International Studies in Edgewater Beach.
Fellow Peirce parent Wendi Brown waved a pro-union sign and said she would never undermine the teachers by leaving her son at school while his teacher picketed.
“I’m a Jewish girl who voted for Rahm to be mayor of this city and I am disappointed — I’m almost embarrassed to say I voted for him,” Brown said. “I agree with him on many issues but we got him there and he needs to stand with us today.”
At Bell Elementary in the North Center neighborhood, parent Stacy Snyder organized a meeting for parents at her house with union representatives, in part to counter what some Bell parents described as incessant robocalls from CPS.
“I think people were kind of uneducated,” said Snyder.
And at the nearby Lane Tech High School, history teacher Missy Smith declared herself “surprised by all the honking.”
“It’s very humbling and very appreciated . . . I just hope people realize it isn’t just about us and pay,” she said.
Lane Tech History teacher Noah Ochsenhaut added, “I think hardworking people relate to other hard-working people.”
But not every parent took the union’s side. At May Elementary in Englewood, parent Areaun Martin said, “I blame the teachers. They didn’t have to strike . . . They should just come back and let these kids go to school. It’s too much going on out here in Englewood to have these babies out in the street.”
Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) was hoping for a quick resolution.
“At this early stage, a lot of parents are taking vacation days or sick days or whatever,” he said. “In the short term, it’s not as big a problem as it could be if this goes on for a while, which hopefully, it won’t.”
Kara Spak, Maudlyne Ihejirika, DanMihalopoulos, Lisa Donovan