Andrew Friend's Schoolidarity: Film Analysis

Andrew Friend’s Schoolidarity, documents two critical intersectional displays of resistance and solidarity between two school’s in Wisconsin and Chicago, and the public sector unions they belong to. The film also simultaneously depicts the political attack and pressure that is presently put on educators in the public education system who belong to public sectors unions. The major forefront themes that I found to be most significant in the documentary include: The different strategies of the Wisconsin and Chicago public sector workers that led to their alternate outcomes, why these strategies were and were not effective, the tactics used by the opponents of the public sector, and finally my critique on the films depiction of the major issues …show more content…
Chicago was able to achieve this by involving senators in the fight, believing whole heartedly in their democratic public sector union and shedding light on how the system manipulates education workers; by using them as a scapegoat for issues in the education system. These strategies were effective because they did have more support and power on their side. Having senators on their side, who have a say in legislation and government, gave the working class a higher level of power, as they are able to look out for the workers on a political scale. The tactics used by Chicago teachers worked because like discussed in lecture; public sector workers, affect the public (Gray, slide 15). A effective strategy for the unions to use is the ‘good work’ strike (Gray, slide 15). This is the idea that in order for the unions to put pressure on their employers you need to represent the public’s interest while putting financial pressure on the employer (Gray, slide 16., Ross, Savage, pg. 22). The Chicago teachers union did this by gaining the majority of the publics backing, while striking from work, which put pressure on their government