Thousands of striking teachers rally in Chicago

CHICAGO — Thousands of striking Chicago public school teachers and their allies packed a city park Saturday in a boisterous show of force as union leaders and the district tried to work out the details of an agreement that could end a week-long walkout.

Pushing strollers, toting signs and towing wagons of children, thousands of red-shirted teachers cheered and chanted as speaker after speaker urged them to stand firm until they have a deal in writing. They told the teachers their strike was a symbol of hope for public teachers and other unions that have been losing ground around the nation.

“I’m pretty confident that something will come together that both sides will agree on,” said Ramses James, a sixth-grade math teacher.

Months of contract negotiations came down to two main issues: job security and union opposition to a new teacher evaluation process the union felt was too heavily weighted on student test scores.

Union leaders who announced a framework for a deal on Friday said they would not end the strike — the first in Chicago in 25 years — until they see a proposal in writing. Saturday’s talks were aimed at settling on the exact language, and both sides were hopeful the nearly 800-member House of Delegates could vote today to suspend the strike so children could be back in class on Monday.

Union members from Wisconsin, Minnesota and elsewhere joined Saturday’s rally in show of solidarity. For Wisconsin teachers, the rally also served as a moment to celebrate a judge’s Friday ruling striking down nearly all of a contentious state law championed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker that had effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers.