Chicago

Brandon Johnson Will Disappoint Working People in Chicago
Brandon Johnson’s progressive electoral campaign attracted activists, young people, and members of the Black and Brown community. But like all Democrats, he governs for the capitalist class, not for the people of color and working-class people who volunteered for him.
Tatiana Cozzarelli
April 11, 2023“I Want to Thank the Staff That Held the Line”: Interview with a Chicago Teacher
Earlier this month, teachers in Chicago voted to resume remote learning rather than return to unsafe working conditions. In response, Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot locked the teachers out of their classes and threatened to stop paying them. After a few days, the Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates voted to suspend the teachers’ action and called them to in person classes. We spoke to a Chicago teacher about this struggle and what it means for educators across the country.
Left Voice
January 17, 2022#LoriLockout: Chicago Teachers Locked Out of Virtual Classrooms
In Chicago, public school teachers overwhelmingly voted in favor of remote instruction until adequate safety measures were in place for in-person instruction. In response, Mayor Lightfoot locked teachers out of their virtual classrooms and has threatened to withhold pay if teachers don’t report to work by Wednesday.
Maria Aurelio
January 5, 2022Chicago Teachers Are Locked Out After Voting for Remote Learning, Refusing to Enter Unsafe Classrooms
Amidst a massive coronavirus surge, Chicago public school teachers voted to return to classes remotely following winter break. Instead Mayor Lightfoot and the district cancelled all classes in a clear confrontation with the city’s teachers and threatened to place all teachers who don’t return by Wednesday on “no pay” status.
Tatiana Cozzarelli
January 5, 2022Adam Toledo, Age 13, Had His Hands in the Air. A Chicago Cop Shot and Killed Him
Adam Toledo was shot by the police while complying with their orders. Then the state tried to cover it up, claiming that he was shooting at the officers. Body cam footage released on Thursday shows that to be a lie.
Ezra Brain
April 15, 2021Mayor Lori Lightfoot: No Friend of Chicago Teachers
After reaching an agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union for an improved but insufficient reopening plan, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has shown her true colors when it comes to the labor movement and democratizing Chicago Public Schools.
Emma Lee
February 20, 2021Chicago Teachers Reach Tentative Agreement to Reopen Schools
On Tuesday, Chicago teachers narrowly voted to approve a proposal from the CPS that would have them return to their classrooms over the next several weeks. Though much better than the original reopening plan, even the union leadership admits it is imperfect. A real victory can only come from the organized rank and file.
James Dennis Hoff
February 11, 2021“A Victory for Us Will Be a Victory for All Workers”: Interview with Chicago Teacher on the Brink of Strike
Teachers in Chicago are fighting against the city’s plans to force them back to in-person learning despite unsafe conditions. Left Voice spoke to one of the teachers in the middle of the struggle about their experience and why it is important that workers across the country support Chicago teachers in this struggle.
Left Voice
January 29, 2021South Side Chicago Uprising Confronts Police Violence and Economic Repression
A social explosion has erupted in Chicago after police shot and injured 20 year old Latrell Allen in the city’s South Side. Over a hundred protesters have been arrested, while the cops sustained injuries of their own. In racist U.S.A., systemic, racist injustice continues to spawn upheaval.
Carmin Maffea
August 11, 2020Hotel Struggles Across the Nation
With the eruption of strike action by Chicago hotel workers, hotel worker William Lewis argues that the unions have the power to organize the unorganized, spread the strike nationally -- and win.
Ioan Georg
September 17, 2018