The social justice unionism model will be used to describe and analyze the organizing strategies of the Chicago Teachers’ Union. Social justice unionism as a union strategy places union workers’ issues inside the broader context of fighting for social justice for all (Behrent 2015). In an article for Rethinking Schools, Bob Peterson, the then president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, noted the importance of social justice unionism. He states that this model “recognizes that our future depends on redefining unionism…to a broader vision that sees the future of unionized workers tied directly to the interests of the entire working class and the communities, particularly communities of color, in which we live and work” (Peterson 2020). Teachers are central in this model because their struggles are intimately connected to the working class’s struggles as a whole, including the fight for fair wages, against neoliberal privatization, and societal inequality. Additionally, their large numbers give them power in negotiations for these struggles. Social justice-focused teachers’ unions accomplish these broad goals by allying themselves with the greater community, fighting societal battles in addition to immediate economic and contractual concerns. Power in the union comes from the bottom up, as it does in social movements, and the union’s organizational structure is just as important as its mission (Weiner 2012). A social justice oriented union works to create a democratic and equitable society and allies itself with other movements also working for social justice, peace, and equality.

Image: Devereaux, M. (2020, June 26). Protesters demand school board remove cops from CPS, but they will stay put for now. The Columbia Chronicle. https://columbiachronicle.com/protesters-demand-school-board-remove-cops-from-cps-but-they-will-stay-put-for-now.