Chicago Teachers Hold March In Loop As Contract Nears End
(CBS) -- A couple thousand teachers union supporters and their members tied up traffic in the loop for a few hours this afternoon as they rallied for a new contract.
CBS 2's Steve Miller reports the march down the middle of LaSalle Street from the Thompson Center to the Board of Trade was done without a permit but with a lot of symbolism, with the teachers union saying to those in power that you've got access to money for teachers' salaries and pensions, and its base is here on LaSalle Street.
Podcast
CTU President Karen Lewis told the teachers they were fighting for the history of fair contracts.
"If we have a chance, this is it," she said. "This is the time where you have to stand up and tell them, 'No, we're not going to take that,'" Lewis said.
CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey told CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez, "The issue is public schools and City Hall don't know where they are going to find revenue to run a high quality school system."
The contract expires at the end of this month.
