Karen Lewis (labor leader)
Karen Lewis (born July 20, 1953) is an American Chicago Public Schools teacher and labor leader. She is the current president of the Chicago Teachers Union, local 1 of the American Federation of Teachers. She is a former King College Prep High School and Lane Technical High School chemistry teacher, her occupation for 22 years before becoming president of the teachers union. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
Early life
Lewis is the daughter of a family of teachers. She left Kenwood High School (now Kenwood Academy) after her junior year to attend Mount Holyoke College. She transferred to Dartmouth College in 1972 and is the only African American woman in the class of 1974, with a degree in sociology and music. A widow, her second husband is a former Chicago schools physical education teacher.
Chicago Teachers Union
Lewis is the president of the Chicago Teachers Union. She has been a member of the union since 1988. In 2010, Lewis, running with the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE), gained control over the CTU by winning 60% of the vote in a run-off election. CORE ran an aggressive grassroots organizing campaign, and took a strong stance against school privatization. CORE accused the incumbent United Progressive Caucus (UPC) of capitulating to corporate interests, silencing dissent within the union, and collaborating with the city to prevent union outreach at schools.