Australia’s Committee for Public Education (CFPE) met last Saturday to discuss the surge of Omicron across Australia and around the world, and growing opposition to mass infections occurring in hazardous workplaces and schools.

This opposition is led by Chicago teachers who have launched industrial action, rejecting government plans to force them back to face-to-face teaching. They were joined by teachers from California and Philadelphia, who are also organizing actions to resist the drive to reopen schools.

In Australia, the pandemic is spiraling out of control as state and federal governments have systematically dismantled public health restrictions. Every day brings 100,000 infections. Due to a massive test system failure, the official numbers are heavily underestimated.

Under conditions of rampant transmission and endless erosion of self-isolation and quarantine rules, teachers and children in Australia face the prospect of being sent back to schools in late January and early February. Additionally, it is estimated that only about a third of all children aged 5 to 12 will have received a dose of the vaccine by then.

After a lively discussion on this situation during the CFPE meeting, the following resolution was adopted unanimously by the participants:

“This meeting of the Committee for Public Education declares its full solidarity with the bold initiative taken by Chicago teachers who voted overwhelmingly to move all learning online in Chicago public schools, the third most large school district in the United States. Their courageous stand to defend the lives and health of children, educators, school workers and the community at large marks a major turning point in the class struggle in the United States and throughout the world. world.

“Chicago teachers have challenged the Democratic Party at the local, state and federal levels, which demands a deadly back-to-school policy regardless of the spike in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. Predictably, the Democratic Party and mainstream media reacted aggressively and ruthlessly against educators.

“CFPE warns that teachers can have no confidence in the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). Their record throughout the pandemic has been to work closely with the government to suppress teacher opposition and bring educators back to in-person learning. CFPE is calling on Chicago teachers to join the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee founded last year against the Democrats’ reopening campaign with the help of CTU. This should be the first step in linking the struggle of Chicago teachers with that of rank-and-file security committees in cities across the United States and internationally, coordinated by the International Alliance of Rank-and-file Committee Workers. These committees have been guided not by what is good for business, but by what is necessary to save lives and prevent the permanent impairment of children.

The warnings about the role of the union were confirmed this week. The CTU, in conjunction with the Democratic Party, is bringing teachers and students back to classrooms starting Wednesday, even before the vote is concluded on a union-brokered ‘safety deal’ that would not nothing to deal with the dangers. The union’s perfidy has been widely denounced by educators on social media.

Teachers who attended the CFPE meeting made the following comments, expressing their admiration and support for Chicago teachers:

Judith, a teacher from Melbourne: “I applaud the stand taken by teachers in Chicago who, in the face of government propaganda and media attacks, voted to refuse to engage in in-person teaching. Your principled stand will undoubtedly save many American lives and be a beacon to all workers around the world. We must work together to ensure that the well-being of the many prevails over the interests of the few.

South Australian teacher: “I want to support teachers in Chicago, Oakland and California in their fight to protect children and young people from COVID. Thank you for taking a stand on the health and well-being of students and your colleagues in the face of government opposition and without union support.

“As teachers, we know we cannot protect children from COVID in overcrowded, poorly ventilated classrooms where infected people are in close contact with others for many hours of the day. We commend you for your strength and unity in this fight. And as teachers who are about to embark on a new school year at the height of our biggest COVID challenge yet, we look to you for inspiration.

Rick, a retired teacher from Melbourne: “I send my support and admiration to the teachers of Chicago for their courage and example of leadership towards workers and teachers facing terrible choices and choosing to fight back. The ruling class and its lackeys are terrified and hysterical. Stand united and strong and reach out to workers, youth, parents and grandparents, and the Socialist Equality Party.

Peter, an educator from Melbourne made these comments before the meeting: “Chicago teachers are showing what organizing a working class movement can do. It also motivates the rest of us to consider similar actions here in Australia, or overseas where they are. The work of Chicago teachers is noticed around the world. They should be applauded for their outstanding leadership and collective effort.

“Governments put the interest of big business above public health and safety and use media manipulation to reinforce it. They’re taking a big gamble, keeping their fingers crossed that people catch the virus, and then everything will move on. Trade unions have been ignored so far. The union accepts whatever the government tells it to do.

“The way the government has set up the system is to put pressure on the director and on the school. They use the idea of ​​personal responsibility to blame the principal, teachers, parents, children for any outbreak.

Vicki, a former teacher from South Australia also expressed her support for Chicago teachers: “I support the actions of Chicago teachers who demonstrate both courage and moral decency. The attacks on teachers show the bourgeoisie and the elite classes as enemies of the working class in their contempt and indifference to working-class life and their obsession with profit and their tendency to lie. I also support the call for a global strategy and the distribution of wealth, created by the working class, for the benefit of the working class.

CFPE encourages all SEP supporters to send messages of solidarity to Chicago teachers via the World Socialist Website.

Register for the CFPE meeting, ‘No to Australian school reopenings amid record COVID infections! Educators, students, parents, join the fight for base security committees! It will be held online on January 23 at 11 a.m. (AEDT).