Chicago's Obama Ally, Mayor Emanuel, Wins Anti-Labor Injunction

According to the Chicago Sun-Times:

Rahm Emanuel gambles and loses — for now — with teacher strike injunction attempt

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter September 17, 2012 5:56PM

Mayor Rahm Emanuel rolled the dice and lost — at least initially — in his bid to get striking Chicago Public School teachers back to the classroom, but it was a gamble worth taking, his City Council floor leader said Monday.

“The mayor opted to try to get teachers back to school. It didn’t work. But at least it lets people know that we’re taking every step possible to get this thing over with,” said Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th), the former chairman of the City Council’s Education Committee now serving as Emanuel’s floor leader.

“It was either do nothing or have a judge say, ‘Come on guys. Get back to class.’ Not everything is gonna work, but that doesn’t mean you don’t try. Like Wayne Gretzky said, ‘Every shot you don’t take is guaranteed not to go in.’ It was the only shot we had. We took it.”

Despite the city’s argument that the “unlawful” strike created a “clear and present danger to the health and safety” of students, Circuit Court Judge Peter Flynn was in no rush to order teachers to return to work.

Flynn chose to wait until Wednesday morning to hear oral arguments on the city’s motion for a preliminary injunction halting the strike. That’s the morning after the Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates, which balked at approving the contract on Sunday, is scheduled to meet again to consider the agreement.

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SOURCE:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/15213346-418/rahm-emanuel-gambles-and-loses-for-now-with-teacher-strike-injunction-attempt.html