MADISON (WKOW) --Madison-area unions are showing their support for teachers in Chicago who are on strike.
The South Central Federation of Labor will rally Friday in support of the Chicago teachers strike at the State Capitol. Then Saturday, a bus will take those supporters from Madison to a mass rally in Chicago.
"Our
public school system, which is a foundation of our democracy, will not
be dismantled, and the teachers who help develop
our next leaders will not be scapegoated," said SCFL President Kevin
Gundlach. "Just as our teachers continue to stand up for our students
and schools, we will all continue to stand up along side our teachers."
"The fight of
Chicago Teachers is our fight," adds John Matthews, the Executive Director of Madison Teachers, Inc. "What Chicago Mayor Emanuel is doing to Chicago
education and the Chicago teachers is quite similar
to what Wisconsin teachers are experiencing at the hands of Governor Walker,
all a push to cripple public education until it fails and then claim the
solution is private, for-profit charters. This is done by increasing
class size, and reducing additional services
needed by students, both of which restricts the ability to learn, and
restricting wage increases, and fringe benefits. Because of Governor
Walker's Act 10, we have teachers here in home foreclosure."
