MADISON (WKOW)-- Hundreds of Wisconsin teachers spent their Saturday alongside striking teachers in Chicago.
Groups of teachers from Madison and Milwaukee got on buses for Chicago Saturday morning, with some saying they are going to return the favor to Illinois teachers who supported them during the protests over Act 10. The introduction of that law, which severely restricted collective bargaining rights for most public union workers in Wisconsin, drew large protests at the state capitol building in Madison.
"I mean we had people as far away as New York, California. It really energizes your desire to keep going and to let the general public know you feel the impact is going to be on public education," said Heidi Bukowski, a teacher mentor in the Madison Metropolitan School District.
Teachers in Chicago say their fight comes down to working conditions.
A tentative agreement is in place to end that strike and allow classes to resume in Chicago on Monday.
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MADISON (WKOW) -- Dozens of people, many of them Madison area teachers, rallied in support of striking Chicago teachers at the capitol Friday.
Demonstrators said teachers in Chicago are up against cuts that are similar to what's happened in Wisconsin
"The same attacks are happening in other states and so people are realizing that when they show their collective power they can really get things done," said teacher Katie Zaman.
Zaman and many of the other teachers plan to take a bus to join a mass rally in Chicago on Saturday.
Meanwhile, it appears the week long walkout in Chicago may be ending.
Negotiators announced the "framework" of an agreement on Friday. Union leaders hope to get final approval this weekend so that school could resume on Monday.
