Chicago Teachers Union begins to encourage ward canvasses for those candidates supported by the union.... Election activities increase dramatically during the 'Final Four' weeks before the February 24 voting for mayor and aldermen
By the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on January 19, 2015, dozens (perhaps hundreds) of rank-and-file members of the Chicago Teachers Union began signing up to support the 23 aldermanic candidates backed by the CTU. While all of the candidates belonging to the Progressive Caucus and the candidates who are CTU members were already receiving rank-and-file support, the publication by the union of the final list of those receiving the union's backing means that during the final four weeks before the February 24 voting will see an explosion of support across the city for a new City Council and a new direction of politics in Chicago.
Zerlina Smith smiles while her daughter Cherish holds up the sign indicating the extent of the 19th Ward where Zerlina is running for alderman with the support of the Chicago Teachers Union. Zerlina has been a parent activist at Saucedo Elementary School and was one of the leaders of the 2014 Opt Out and test Boycott movements. Substance photo by Bob Simpson.While the union's support for Jesus "Chuy" Garcia for mayor was decided as early as November 5, 2014, when the House of Delegates voted to support Garcia, the complete listing of all those supported continued until the January 14, 2015 HOD meeting, when the final supports were voted.
Teachers and others wanting to know how to provide support for the candidates endorsed by the union can no get that information at the union's website, www.ctunet.com. Below is the list of the canvasses known to the union as of January 17, 2015. A great deal more work is being done (for example, the 45th Ward, where this reporter lives, has a great many activities going on in addition to the canvass noted by CTU) across the city as well. During the remaining weeks the numbers will increase. In most cases, the candidates now have opened their campaign offices and can be contacted at those offices even earlier than the canvass times and dates listed by the CTU. A survey by Substance indicates that campaign activities are being scheduled and held in virtually every ward where there are contests (not all wards are seeing contested elections).
By contrast to the grass roots work being done on behalf of the union's candidates, including Garcia, a great deal of the work being done by the forces aligned with Mayor Rahm Emanuel is being done by paid mercenaries, a process that began when Emanuel had to pay those who circulated his nominating petitions on a "per signature" basis.
In the CTU listing, some of the aldermanic candidates are referred to as "champions" without any discussing of why that designation has been awarded to those individuals. Some of that wordage may appear in the listings below.
The canvass listing as of January 19, 2015, according to www.ctunet.com, follows:
David Moore, 17th Ward Canvass, 7313 S Ashland Av, Jan 24 2015, 10:00 AM
Roderick Sawyer, Progressive Caucus incumbent, 6th Ward Canvass, 618 E. 71st St., Jan 24 2015
10:00 AM
Alderman Scott Waguespack of the 32nd Ward has been part of the Progressive Caucus, and the 32nd Ward Canvass will be held at 2115 N. Western Av., Jan 24 2015
10:00 AM
33rd Ward Canvass. Tim Meegan, who is running against incumbent Deb Mell, is a social studies teacher at Roosevelt High School in Albany Park. 4307 N. Kedzie, Jan 24 2015. 10:00 AM
Tara Stamps who teaches at Jenner Elementary School is running against the incumbent Emma Mitts in the 37th Ward. The Canvass will assemble at 5112 W. North Ave., Jan 24 2015, 10:00 AM
Denice Davis is one of several candidates running in the 46th Ward. The Canvass will be organized from 4447 N. Broadway, Jan 24 2015. 10:00 AM
Alderman Nicholas Sposato was gerrymandered out of his City Council seat in the 36th Ward and so he is running for alderman of the 38th Ward. Nick's Canvass will be organized from his campaign office at 6936 W. Diversey, Jan 24 2015. 10:30 AM. Nick supported the union's picket lines during the 2012 strike and has spoken out at several Board of Education meetings against the Board's attacks on the city's public schools and unions.
16th Ward Alderman Toni L. Foulkes "has been a champion for our public schools" according to the CTU Website. Alderman Foulkes is part of the City Council Progressive Caucus and will oversee the canvass from her campaign office, 6633 S Ashland Av, Jan 24 2015, 11:00 AM
Lindblom High School teacher Ed Hershey has taught in Chicago schools for nine years and is now the CTU endorsed candidate for alderman of the 25rh Ward. His canvass will be organized from Efebinas, 1640 S. Blue Island, Jan 24 2015. 11:30 AM
35th Ward Canvass
Carlos Rosa will be a champion for our public schools. Carlos is one of a handful of candidates ...
3035 N Milwaukee Av
Jan 24 2015
12:00 PM
5th Ward Canvass
Alderman Leslie Hairston has been a champion for our public schools. Alderman Hairston is part ...
2325 E. 71st St
Jan 24 2015
12:00 PM
45th Ward Canvass
Alderman Arena has been a champion for our public schools since his upset election four years ...
4962 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Jan 24 2015
12:00 PM
22nd Ward Canvass
Alderman Rick Muoz has been a champion for our public schools. Muoz is part of the City Council ...
2500 S. St. Louis Ave.
Jan 24 2015
01:00 PM
37th Ward Canvass
Tara Stamps is a dedicated community leader and lifelong Chicagoan who has spent the past twenty ...
5112 W. North Ave.
Jan 24 2015
01:30 PM
26th Ward Canvass
Juanita Irizarry will be a champion for our public schools. Juanita is one of a handful of ...
3304 W. North Ave.
Jan 24 2015
03:00 PM
37th Ward Canvass
Tara Stamps is a dedicated community leader and lifelong Chicagoan who has spent the past twenty ...
5112 W. North Ave.
Jan 25 2015
10:00 AM
46th Ward Canvass
Denice Davis will be a champion for our public schools. Denice is one of a handful of candidates ...
4447 N. Broadway
Jan 25 2015
11:00 AM
32nd Ward Canvass
Alderman Scott Waguespack has been a champion for our public schools. Waguespack is part of the ...
2115 N. Western Av.
Jan 25 2015
11:00 AM
25th Ward Canvass
Ed Hershey has taught in Chicago schools for nine years. He watched Mayors Daley and Emanuel take ...
Cafe Catrina, 1011 W. 18th Street
Jan 25 2015
12:00 PM
5th Ward Canvass
Alderman Leslie Hairston has been a champion for our public schools. Alderman Hairston is part of ...
2325 E. 71st St.
Jan 25 2015
01:00 PM
45th Ward Canvass
Alderman Arena has been a champion for our public schools since his upset election four years ...
4962 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Jan 25 2015
01:00 PM
16th Ward Canvass
Alderman Toni L. Foulkes has been a champion for our public schools. Alderman Foulkes is part of ...
6633 S Ashland Av
Jan 25 2015
01:00 PM
37th Ward Canvass
Tara Stamps is a dedicated community leader and lifelong Chicagoan who has spent the past twenty ...
5112 W. North Ave.
Jan 25 2015
02:00 PM
17th Ward Canvass
David Moore will be a champion for our public schools. Moore is one of a handful of candidates ...
7313 S Ashland Av
Jan 25 2015
03:00 PM
37th Ward Canvass
Tara Stamps is a dedicated community leader and lifelong Chicagoan who has spent the past twenty ...
5112 W. North Ave.
