A Tale of Two Cities, Part 1: Chicago Fights and Wins — What NYC Can Learn

This is the first in a two-part series from A Better Contract (ABC) comparing what’s possible when unions fight—and what happens when they don’t.

In Part 1, Amy Arundell, longtime educator and presidential candidate on the ABC slate, reflects on the Chicago Teachers Union’s tentative agreement and the culture of organizing that made it possible.

---

I wasn’t planning to write today. But after reading through the Chicago Teachers Union’s tentative agreement, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something important had just happened—and that we needed to talk about it.

The 2025 CTU contract locks in substantial pay raises, guarantees more prep time, and expands community support for students—showing just how powerful collective action can be. If you’re ready to see how these educators turned “impossible” into a done deal, you’ve got to check it out. Click here for all the details: https://www.ctulocal1.org/posts/ctu-announces-historic-tentative-agreement-major-leap-forward-toward-transforming-chicago-public-schools/.

What the Chicago Teachers Union just accomplished—it wasn’t magic. It wasn’t luck. It was movement. It was members, organizing each other, mobilizing consistently, and building power over time. It was setting clear priorities, building public pressure, and refusing to be told “no.” They didn’t wait for politicians to save them. They did it themselves—and they did it together.

I want to be really clear about something. I don’t think their success is just about a contract. I think it’s about a culture. A culture of courage. A culture of clarity. A union that sees every struggle inside the school building as connected to the fight outside it. A union that organizes relentlessly—and wins publicly.

And let me tell you what struck me most: it wasn’t just the raises. It wasn’t just the prep time. It was the way CTU connected everything they do to uplifting workers and the communities they serve. They didn’t organize for scraps. They organized for dignity.

Now, back here in New York, Unity tells us: this can’t be done. They say don’t expect too much. Be realistic. Accept what you’re given. And every time they say that, I ask: do they think we haven’t seen what our brothers and sisters in Chicago just achieved? Do they think we didn’t notice?

Because we noticed. And we are not accepting the scraps.

When we started this campaign, there were maybe 20 of us sitting around folding chairs, talking about the same things I’m talking about with you now. But we were armed with a faith in member power. And we are armed with a belief in transparency. And most of all—we believed in each other.

We are now on the verge of winning. And if we keep moving together, we will—and we will be a union again. A union that listens. A union that leads. A union where truth replaces talking points and backroom deals are replaced by bold demands.

CTU didn’t wait to be rescued. They got organized. They built up. They broke through.

And we can too.

Let’s stop settling. Let’s start organizing with urgency and demanding with discipline.

Together, we will drive our future.

When we fight, we win.