DOWNTOWN — Hundreds of Chicago teachers packed downtown streets Thursday on the first day of the teachers strike as contract negotiations continued.
At about 1:30 p.m., a sea of teachers and their supporters, most wearing Chicago Teachers Union signature red, traveled from Chicago Public Schools headquarters at 42 W. Madison St. eastward, stopping at City Hall along the way.
The energy level remained high throughout the march with ongoing chants: “Get up, get down, Chicago is a union town!” and creative singalongs: “It’s my union and I’ll strike if I want to, strike if I want to, strike if I want to, you would strike too if it happened to you!”
While some teachers said they do want raises, they pointed to other concerns, too: There is not enough support to help students suffering from trauma, they want more nurses and counselors, they don’t want to lose prep time and they’re worried about the sizes of their classes.
RELATED: Why We’re Striking: Chicago Teachers Tell Us What They’re Up Against
Inspired by Lizzo lyrics, Tinder and poop emojis, many made clever signs to get their message across.
Here are some of the best ones:
Have a creative sign to add to the list? Email us at newsroom@blockclubchi.org.