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Teacher strikes in the United States

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From 1968 to 2012 at least 839 teacher strikes have occurred in the US. 740 of these have been in Pennsylvania.[1] Teacher strikes and walkouts have since increased in popularity outside of Pennsylvania due to the Red for Ed movement in 2018-19.

History

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The 1919 Boston police strike chilled union interest in the public sector in the 1920s. The major exception was the emergence of unions of public school teachers in the largest cities; they formed the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), affiliated with the AFL. In suburbs and small cities, the National Education Association (NEA) became active, but it insisted it was not a labor union but a professional organization.[2]

Legality

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The legality of teacher strikes vary from state to state. Collective bargaining by public sector employees and therefore teachers is explicitly illegal in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. 12 states have explicitly stated that teacher strikes are legal. These states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming have no explicit statutes or case law on the subject.[3]

In states that explicitly ban strikes, teachers have employed alternative tactics, such as walkouts and sick-outs where the majority of teachers call in sick on the same day.[4]

2018-2019 Education Workers' Strike Movement (Red for Ed)

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Main article: 2018–2019 education workers' strikes in the United States

In February 2018, the US saw an education protest and strike movement, which began in West Virginia. Statewide, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona followed suit. Demands varied from state to state but included funding sources for education, pension issues, increased pay.

Strikes by State

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Colorado

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Despite being explicitly allowed, Colorado had no teacher's strikes between 1994 and 2018. Pueblo Education Association went on strike May 2, 2018 asking for a 2% raise and $30 per a month for health insurance.[5] The Denver Classroom Teachers Association, the largest teachers union in the state, went on strike in February 2019 over low pay, and issues around an unpredictable and unjust compensation model.[6]

List of Modern Colorado Teacher Strikes
Date District Length of Strike Median Teacher Salary Year of Strike Spending per Student Number of Teachers in District Year of Strike Primary Point of Contention
1994 Denver Public Schools[7] 5 days ~3,700 (2,200 on strike) [8] Classroom size
2018, May 2 Pueblo City Schools[5] 5 days $47,617 Cost of Living Raise
2018, April Statewide (10 districts) 1 day walk-out rally $52,728 Cost of Living Raise and adjustments to state retirement program (PERA)
2019, February 11 Denver Public Schools 3 days Cost of Living Raise, Ending unpredictable compensation model tied to test scores and evaluations.
2019, October Park County School District RE-2 8 days 40 Cost of Living Raise and Collective Bargaining Agreement[9]

Illinois

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Main article: 2019 Chicago Public Schools Strike

A strike of Chicago Public School teachers that occurred in 2019 was significant enough to garner support from national politicians.[10]

Illinois holds the record for the longest teachers' strike to date. This was an eight month strike beginning in October 1986 in Homer, IL.[11] After roughly one month, the school board hired strike breaking substitutes for much of the school year.[12]

New Jersey

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Long Branch teachers and staff struck from October 22, 1974,[13] until November 3, 1974.[14]

Ohio

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Ohio holds the record for the second longest teachers' strike, which lasted for 85 days in 1981.[15]

Oregon

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The 2023 Portland Association of Teachers strike was the first teacher strike in district history.[16] The strike involved teachers and other PAT members at Portland Public Schools, the largest school district in Oregon. The strike began on November 1, 2023 and ended November 26, 2023.[17][18]

The 2024 Greater Albany Education Association (GAEA) teacher strike began on November 12, 2024 in Greater Albany Public Schools in Albany, Oregon. The strike persists as of November 28, 2024. This strike follows a tumultuous several years in the school district beginning with the election of several new school board members in 2021and the subsequent firing without cause of the Superintendent at that time, Melissa Goff, in the middle of her contract period. Goff was eventually replaced with Superintendent Andy Gardner, whose salary has been set at a higher rate than any other Superintendent at similarly sized school district in Oregon, despite the district having some of the largest class sizes and lowest teacher salaries of any similarly sized districts in the state. Tensions have persisted in the district the past several years, culminating in the 2024 teacher strike.

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania explicitly allows teachers to strike. However, since 1992 state act 88 gives the Pennsylvania Department of Education the power to order teachers to return to work to ensure that students still receive 180 days of instruction. This has subsequently reduced the frequency of teacher strikes in Pennsylvania, although the state still leads the nation in strikes.[19] Between 2000 and 2007, Pennsylvania accounted for 60% of teacher strikes nationwide.[20][21] 2010 saw 3 strikes, while 2011 had one strike. Between 1968 and 2012 Pennsylvania has had 740 teacher strikes.[1] A major cause of strikes in Pennsylvania is that contracts are frequently allowed to lapse for several years before the school board and teachers union can come to a new agreement.[22]

Partial list of modern Pennsylvania Teacher Strikes
Date District Length of Strike Last Contract Median Teacher Salary Year of Strike[23] Spending per Student Number of Teachers in District Year of Strike Primary Point of Contention
2009 Crestwood School District[24][25] 5 days - Support Staff Only 8 years before strike $58,205 ($35,032 to $96,820)[26] 160
2010 Bethel Park School District[19]
2012 Neshaminy School District[19] 5 years before strike
2012 Neshaminy School District[19] 5 years before strike
2013 Wyoming Area School District [19][27] 23 days 2010
2013 Old Forge School District[19] 2010
2013 Shaler Area School District[19] August 2011
2014 Wyoming Area School District[27] 1 day 2010
2014 Danville Area School District[28] 5 days June 2012
2014 Millville Area School District[29][30] 27 days 3 years before strike
2014 East Allegheny School District[31][32] 16 days June 2012
2014 Old Forge School District
2015 Peters Township School District
2015 Scranton School District 11 days
2015 Line Mountain School District
2015 Millville Area School District[30] 4 days 3 years before strike
2016 Montrose Area School District $66,018 $18,024
2016, April 12 Sayre Area School District[33] 10 days 3 years before strike $70,129 $17,620 77 Healthcare and salary[34]
2016, January 20 Shamokin Area School District[35] 3 years before strike $43,556 $12,020 154 Low starting salary
2016 Highlands School District $68,012 $16,796
2016, April 18 Athens Area School District[36] 2 days August 2013 $67,409 $18,310 147 Retiree healthcare benefits[37]
2021, Feb 1 Keystone Oaks School District[38] 10 days June 2020 Wage freeze
2021, Sept 13 Redbank Valley School District[39] 27 days 2.5 years before strike $65,053 (2020) $15,946 (2019) 77 Health benefits, 2 year salary freeze
2021, November 2 Scranton School District[40] 12 days 4 years before strike $61,989 (2020) $16,629 (2019) 800 Healthcare and salary [41]

West Virginia

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The West Virginia statewide educator walkout in 2018 began the Red for Ed movement.

References

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  1. ^ a b Lee, Jaeah; Liebelson, Dana. "Map: Wave of New Teacher Strikes Hits Illinois". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  2. ^ Murphy, Marjorie (1992). Blackboard unions: the AFT and the NEA, 1900-1980. Cornell University Press. hdl:2027/heb.04395. ISBN 978-0-8014-8076-8.
  3. ^ "Regulation of Public Sector Collective Bargaining in the States" (PDF). Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "Teacher Strikes: 4 Common Questions". Education Week. 13 March 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Teachers in Pueblo, Colorado vow to strike for 'as long as it takes'". NBC News. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  6. ^ "One year after Denver's historic teacher strike, what did the walkout accomplish?". The Denver Post. 2020-02-09. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  7. ^ "Retired teacher recalls "chaos" of Denver Public Schools' 5-day strike in 1994". The Denver Post. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  8. ^ "School Strike Is Settled in Denver". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1994-10-16. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  9. ^ "Teachers in Park County end strike without pay raises, contract". Chalkbeat Colorado. 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  10. ^ Smith, Mitch (2019-10-22). "National Democrats Signal Support as Chicago Teachers' Strike Stretches On". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  11. ^ "Notable Past Teachers' Strikes: 1986-1987 Strike In Downstate Homer Lasted 8 Months". www.cbsnews.com. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  12. ^ Mabry, Tim Mitchell tmitchel@news-gazette com By Rebecca (12 November 2006). "Two decades later, Homer teachers' strike still sore subject". The News-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  13. ^ "TEACHERS STRIKE IN LONG BRANCH; 6 of 10 Schools Are Closed in Pay Raise Dispute". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  14. ^ "Long Branch Bd. of Educ. v. Ass'n of Long Branch Educ. Secs. & Clerks, Inc" (PDF). New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission. February 7, 1977. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  15. ^ "Ravenna, Ohio, Teachers' Strike - Ohio History Central". ohiohistorycentral.org. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  16. ^ "In Oregon, public school teachers are on strike in Portland". NPR. November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  17. ^ "Portland teachers strike continues Monday, gives new meaning to 'No School November'". opb. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  18. ^ "Portland Teachers' Union and School District Sign a Deal". Willamette Week. 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "School Districts, Teachers, at a Loss for Solution to Labor Strikes".
  20. ^ "Strike-Free School Year".
  21. ^ "Mary Niederberger., Laws, tax limits hinder negotiations, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 5, 2013".
  22. ^ CommonwealthFoundation.org (13 April 2018). "4 Facts on Pennsylvania Teacher Strikes". Commonwealth Foundation. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  23. ^ "Open PA Gov - School Payroll". www.openpagov.org. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  24. ^ "Workers Struggles: The Americas". World Socialist Web Site. 27 May 2009. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  25. ^ Leader, Times (2015-06-20). "UPDATE: Crestwood schools will stay open during support staff strike". Times Leader. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  26. ^ "Archived". www.openpagov.org. 2010-11-19. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  27. ^ a b "Wyoming Area School Board Rejects Arbitrator's Decision; Teachers On Strike". wnep.com. April 15, 2014. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  28. ^ Item, Robert StonebackThe Daily (18 April 2014). "Picketing begins at four Danville schools". The Daily Item. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  29. ^ "Millville Area Teachers go on Strike". wnep.com. August 20, 2014. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  30. ^ a b "Millville Area Teachers Strike". wnep.com. April 6, 2015. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  31. ^ Hazen, Bob (2014-09-03). "East Allegheny teachers on strike". WTAE. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  32. ^ "East Allegheny students return to class after strike". WPXI. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  33. ^ Wilson, Lois. "Sayre teachers ordered to return to classrooms". Star-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  34. ^ "Sayre Teachers On Strike". WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  35. ^ "Shamokin Area Teachers Strike Again". wnep.com. January 20, 2016. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  36. ^ "Teachers in Athens Area School District on Strike". wnep.com. April 18, 2016. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  37. ^ "Athens Area School District Teachers On Strike". www.wicz.com. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  38. ^ "Keystone Oaks teachers set to end work stoppage despite no contract agreement". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  39. ^ Writer, EVANNE GAREIS L.-V. Staff (19 October 2021). "BACK TO SCHOOL: Redbank considers new health plan as strike comes to an end". The Courier Express. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  40. ^ "Scranton Teachers Reach Tentative Deal".
  41. ^ "Scranton Teachers Poised to Strike After Talks Go Nowhere".
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