AI

Exactly. The isolation and the barriers that a lot of educators feel on the day-to-day — the strike broke all that down. An outpouring of love, that’s what I’ve felt during this strike. There’s been a real sense of community, of love for each other.

Of course, it’s hard to go on strike — but once you get there, it’s exhilarating. I honestly had no idea how much power it would give our members, it really changed the whole face of everything in this city.

And the strike validated all our members. I think every one of them today feels that, “I won this, we won this all together. We do have collective power. We can’t do it individually, but we can do it together.” What amazed me, driving from school to school, was to see all the members out there picketing and dancing in the rain.

Nothing will be the same after this. We now have to look as a union at how we can harness all this energy — and incorporate all the new leaders that have emerged — for the struggles ahead. I think the sky’s the limit. I hope other unions will really be encouraged and inspired, and I believe they are, because I’ve been getting sent a ton of messages from across the country.

We were inspired by Chicago and we were inspired by the red states. Our actions all encourage each other — and this movement is just going to grow. I’m so proud to be part of this struggle for public education, for social justice, for women, for racial justice, for all working people. And our unions are the place where we really have the power to bring this all together.