Chicago Teachers Union Calls For Rahm And Anita To Resign

By aaroncynic in News on Jan 7, 2016 7:04PM

CTU And Allies Rally In The Loop Over Contract Concerns In June, 2012. By Aaron Cynic/Chicagoist

The Chicago Teachers Union has joined the growing chorus demanding the resignations of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. The organization’s house of delegates voted Wednesday evening to demand the resignations; this is the first time the union has ever made a call for a resignation from a sitting mayor.

In the resolution provided to Chicagoist, the CTU wrote:

The actions of both Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez impeded the criminal justice system, and in the process has led to the erosion of public trust and confidence in their leadership; and the only way to restore this trust is with their resignations

The resolution harshly criticizes Emanuel for the closing of 50 neighborhood schools, most of which were in communities of color, and the closure of half the city’s mental health clinics. It argues that the mayor’s mismanagement of taxpayer dollars contributed to the death of Laquan McDonald, the black 17-year-old who was shot 16 times and killed by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.

The resolution also reiterates the union’s call and support for a civilian police accountability council, and calls for a “ban on training or arming of police by military institutions.”

“The CTU support demands for a public review of the incident’s cover-up by a civilian police accountability council; the creation of policies to prevent such cover-ups from happening in the future,” reads the statement. The union first made an official call for an elected civilian accountability council in December.

Sarah Chambers, a special education teacher and CTU executive board member, likened the need for CPAC to the need for an elected school board in an interview with In These Times.

“As teachers, we don't trust any committee Rahm appoints," said Chambers. "Without community members on these boards, there's corruption. There's no accountability—they're all appointed by the mayor and just do what he says."

The union also accused both Emanuel and Alvarez of intentionally delaying the release of the dashcam videos showing McDonald’s death at the hands of police for “political gain.”

Alvarez faces off against two opponents in the upcoming March election, but a representative for the union told Chicagoist in an email it was not presently making any endorsements. However, the union does support a bill currently in the Illinois House of Representatives sponsored by Rep. Lashawn Ford and Rep. Mary Flowers that would establish a procedure for a recall of the mayor.