Romney condemns Chicago teachers’ union strike, blames Obama for it

The Chicago Public School strike opened way for Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan to portray Obama as the one behind the strike that resulted in cancelled classes in one of nation’s largest public school districts.

In a statement issued by his campaign, Romney linked Obama with the teachers’ union strike suggesting that the president has sided with the union rather than the school children.

"I am disappointed by the decision of the Chicago Teachers Union to turn its back on not only a city negotiating in good faith but also the hundreds of thousands of children relying on the city's public schools to provide them a safe place to receive a strong education," Romney said in a statement Monday morning according to NBC News.

Although Obama has not yet commented on the strike, Romney pointed out to Vice President, Joe Biden’s speech last year in which he reaffirmed administration’s “affection” and “commitment” to the teachers suggesting that Obama has encouraged the teachers’ union.

"President Obama has chosen his side in this fight," Romney said. "I choose to side with the parents and students depending on public schools to give them the skills to succeed, and my plan for education reform will do exactly that." Romney said that the teacher’s unions have made no effort to hide their conflict of interests with that of the children and this latest strike is a proof of that.

Chicago strike has several national presidential campaign implications and with Romney jumping into the controversy only hours before flying from Ohio to O’hare Airport, it is clearly an effort by the former Massachusetts Governor “to reinvent himself as the city’s biggest cheerleader after attacking it for the past year,” Obama’s campaign press secretary, Ben LaBolt said in a tweet.

The strike by the Chicago teachers’ union is a response by the nation’s third largest school district teachers after negotiations between the government and the union towards a new contract broke down on Sunday. So far the dispute is far from getting solved.

Romney’s campaign also sought to divide Obama from Democratic Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel. "Rahm and I have not agreed on every issue or on a lot of issues, but Mayor Emanuel is right today in saying that this teacher's union strike is unnecessary and wrong,” Ryan said noting that while the Republicans know that Emanuel will not support Romney, he and his campaign strands strong with the Mayor’s decision.