The success of the strike in West Virginia may be emboldening teachers in other states, BloombergPolitics reports:
The fury among low-paid teachers that triggered a wildcat teachers’ strike in West Virginia—the longest in its history—may be spreading.
Teachers across the country may soon build on the state’s example. The Oklahoma teachers’ union said it will shut down schools within months if its demands aren’t met, and some teachers said they may strike even if a deal is reached.
“The end goal is funding for public education and our core services, and if it takes us closing down schools to do that, then we are prepared and willing to do so,” said Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association. On Thursday, the OEA will announce a timetable that could culminate in a school shutdown if lawmakers don’t pass teacher raises, something the legislature hasn’t done in a decade. While some teachers may have been on the fence, said Priest, the two-week West Virginia strike “has given them an emboldened sense of purpose and a sense of power.”
That may not be enough for the rank and file. Some Oklahoma teachers are planning a wildcat strike of their own. Leaders from a dozen schools met last week to discuss such an unsanctioned walkout, and they plan to reconvene Wednesday to vote on a strike date. If the union’s plans aren’t to their liking, they may walk out, said Larry Cagle, who teaches advanced placement courses and is one of the organizers behind the independent effort. “We’re going to force this on the union and on the superintendent,” he said. “Teachers are ready—they are chomping at the bit.”
If there’s anyone that loves education, it’s teachers. While the conservative states may fight to keep their taxes low on the backs of teachers – it’s long been an article of faith among the libertarian wing that teachers unions are evil incarnate – in the long run states with well-educated citizens are usually more prosperous, regardless of taxes.
This is the problem with trying to apply family budget principles to the budget of a state – the priorities differ to the point where parsimony in the wrong quarter can have serious, yet hard-to-trace, long-term consequences.
