The teachers have been threatening to strike for months, and when the latest round of cuts of $100 million were announced in February, coupled with the continuing threat of layoffs, Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis called it an "act of war".
The rare one-day strike started with picket lines at schools around the city - with the focus due to move downtown for a rally outside City Hall and the state office building, followed by an evening rush hour march to "shut down the Loop".
"We are dying the death by 1,000 cuts," Lewis said after the strike was announced. "The labor conditions have gotten to a point where they are not tolerable."
This is not a moment, but a movement. It's About empowerment. We must not give up the fight! #CTUStrike @CTULocal1 pic.twitter.com/QmAWojbjIa
โ Fight For 15 Chicago (@chifightfor15) April 1, 2016
Emanuel, who sends his children to the same southside private school where Obama's kids attended when they lived in Chicago, has been the target of the public teacher's union's frustrations due to the closures of dozens of schools, including 49 in 2013.
While Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has called the mayor out on his closures, layoffs, and ties to Wall Street, Hillary Clinton said she would follow in his footsteps and close schools that weren't doing a good enough job.
Solidarity with @CTULocal1!Teachers are fighting for public education. They are the face of a progressive future! pic.twitter.com/H1qiTalSIA
โ John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) April 1, 2016
Clinton, who was born and raised in the suburb of Park Ridge, won the recent Illinois primary by a slim margin of 50.5 percent versus 48.7 percent for Sanders, who attended the University of Chicago.
Obama sends his kids to a private school in DC like the Clintons. So do all the elites. Awful DC go schools https://t.co/RL4XNRwWSO
โ hoplite300 (@hoplite300) March 28, 2016
The people of Chicago side with the teachers union over Emanuel three to one, according to a poll in the Chicago Tribune, the leading newspaper that's published several anti-union editorials during this battle.
Media Matters has called out the 'Trib' for mis-characterizations of the issues and repeatedly accusing teachers of throwing a "tantrum".
In its latest editorial, it accused the union of "whipping members into a froth" and described the strike as a "hastily planned, unfocused Day of Tantrum".
Teachers at Nettelhorst #CTUStrike. Do we look like we're having a lawless tantrum, Claypool and Tribune? pic.twitter.com/7z7su5rvo5
โ Michelle Gunderson (@MSGunderson) April 1, 2016
The union formally called for Emanuel's resignation in March, saying, "the leadership of Rahm Emanuel contributed to the shocking and inexcusable murder of Laquan McDonald."
Republican Governor Rauner is also the the target of the protests, due to the former venture capitalist's 'tax-cuts-for-the-super-rich, austerity-for-everyone-else' agenda and his holding the budget hostage until legislators agree to rollback union rights.
Rauner also called for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to declare bankruptcy and fall under the control of the state.
CPS maintains February's $100 million cuts were necessary because it did not receive $480 million in funding from the General Assembly, thanks to Rauner's nine-month hold on the budget.
Teachers have been forced to take three unpaid days this year, in what the district says is an effort to save $30 million to keep schools open for the year.
Teachers were also asked to cover 7 percent of their pension which is currently covered by CPS. The union estimates this will cost a teacher on $55,000 about $4,000 a year.
Instead, the union is calling for tax reform to increase taxes paid by the top 5 percent in Illinois, which would include Emanuel and Rauner.
The Chicago Teachers Union went on a week-long strike against austerity measures in 2012 before coming to an agreement with Emanuel, which ran out last June.
Educators from colleges and universities are supporting the strike, as they too suffer from budget cuts.
The leading African-American CPS teacher training school, Chicago State University, faces hundreds of layoffs due to a lack of funding, with new president Thomas Calhoun claiming the school may not be able to make payroll in April.
"I'm profoundly shocked at the apparent willingness to suffocate higher education in the state of Illinois, while at the same time, the governor, speaking about the economic future and desire, has not seen fit to fund the very engine that contributes the most," Calhoun said.
The strike is supported by many in the community, with one Ravenswood neighborhood cafe offering striking teachers free breakfast on Friday morning.
"Teachers, please enjoy a bagel with cream cheese and a coffee on us," Spoken cafe posted on Facebook. "Thank you for all that you do."
Supporting our teachers at Ray School #CTU pic.twitter.com/wWtd9GbtRa
โ Lawrence L. Benito (@llbenito) April 1, 2016
This is covered by a documentary on RT... on the privatization of the school system in the US... and Chicago is one example in that process, one the Mayor has continued to support.... that support being the transfer of public funds into private corporate 'schooling' interests that fund his campaigns... same with the governor... who, being a billionaire that keeps his money hin the Carribbean to avoid paying taxes, has helped our state of Illinois in its attempt to commit suicide... no budget after so many months.... as if they think they are Federalistas... ego issues atop the greed issues has really brought the situation to a critical point of no return.