Labor Beat: Karen Lewis Election Victory Press Conference

June 12, 2010--In a union election with national significance, Karen Lewis, CORE caucus candidate for President of Chicago Teachers Union, decisively defeated incumbent Marilyn Stewart. As reported at www.substance.net, American Arbitration Association announced early in the morning on June 12 that Lewis got 12,080 votes to Stewart's 8,326. Over her years in power Stewart froze up when Arne Duncan, then head of Chicago Public Schools, pushed school privatizations, turnarounds, obsessive testing, closures and massive teacher layoffs. During this period Karen Lewis and the Caucus of Rank and File Educators organized a strong fight back against these measures. Lewis' victory today represents a major national challenge to now-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his policies, today being forced onto every school system in the U.S. "This election shows the unity of 30,000 educators standing strong to put business in its place: out of our schools!" The Chicago Teachers Union Local 1 is the largest union in the state of Illinois. 10 minutes. Produced by Labor Beat. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner. Labor Beat is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member of IBEW 1220. Views are those of the producer Labor Beat. For info: mail@laborbeat.org, www.laborbeat.org. 312-226-3330. For other Labor Beat videos, visit Google Video, YouTube, or blip.tv and search "Labor Beat".

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Karen Lewis
• Chicago Teachers Union
• Chicago Public Schools
• school turnarounds
• AFT

[btwall60]

Hey Karen, how's it feel looking the devil right in the eye? Anyone from the outside can see that Rahm is obviously insane, yelling and screaming and throwing a baby fit into Ms. Lewis' face. But, of course, Rahm's head and ass are connected all the way to the TOP. No rules contain him, none. No rules apply and he knows it. If a woman acted like him she would be out of a job and called "hysterical, crazy, having her time of the month etc" Rahm is of the Royal WE, rules for THEE not for me.

[faoust21]

Good job!!!!keep education for the millions,not the millionaires!!!

[NYCTeacher1]

Great job CORE!

[ritz135]

This is great! CORE is an inspiration to us all!