He said he hopes state lawmakers pass a bill making it more difficult for them to walk off the job.
Daley made his comments at the ribbon cutting for the new Azuela Elementary School on West Marquette. The mayor acknowledged that the bill is controversial and that many people disagree with him. But he called a strike "unfair" to students. He went on to say that no one was going to treat teachers unfairly.
"You can't give taxpayers money away all the time," Daley said. "It's not my money. It's your money, it's the taxpayers. It's the taxpayers of the city of Chicago. And so we negotiate fairly and honestly what we can afford and what we can do."
The mayor added that adults should never be allowed to "overcome the future of a child."
