In October, New Orleans DSA sent members up to Chicago to join the 35,000 teachers and education workers who are on strike for their students. They are members of Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and SEIU Local 73, and their demands include a nurse and social worker in every school, reduced class sizes, and fair pay for support staff.
New Orleans DSA member Jeff B., who works as a union teacher in Jefferson Parish, joined thousands in a march to City Hall on Friday the 18th. On Saturday, our members joined CTU teachers for an impromptu direct action against Sterling Bay, a developer who has received over $1 billion in tax cuts from the city to build a luxury development called Lincoln Yards, even as Chicago students face school closures and class sizes of 40 students.
Right after the direct action, New Orleans DSA went over to the UE union hall to help Chicago DSA members bag lunches for students. With about 15 volunteers, we were able to bag up over a thousand lunches in an hour.
New Orleans wasn’t the only DSA chapter to send its members to Chicago to support the strike! Six YDSA students from New York also came down to stand in solidarity with education workers. It was great to be able to meet fellow members from around the country, all working hard to fight for a better world.
