By Chris Brooks Strikes are won by workers—often with a little help from their friends. During their two-week strike, West Virginia’s salaried classroom teachers still got paid, because superintendents closed schools. The days missed were treated like snow days to be made up later. But workers paid by the hour or day—such as substitute teachers, Continue readingHow West Virginia activists organized a solidarity fund for the uprising
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By Samantha Winslow Fresh on the heels of the West Virginia strike, Oklahoma teachers in April led their own nine-day statewide walkout. Just the threat of a walkout got the legislature to approve teacher raises averaging $6,000. But educators were demanding more, to address decades of cuts. But in Oklahoma—unlike West Virginia—when state union leaders Continue readingOklahoma teachers strike and win
By Pranav Jani and Flynn Murray Some 5,000 Kentucky students, unionists, social justice activists and others rallied at the state Capitol building in Frankfort on April 13 to stand up for public education. Shutting down schools in 30 counties, teachers led the way as hundreds filled the inside of the Capitol. When state troopers tried Continue readingTeacher strike wave in America: What’s next for Kentucky?
By Sean Larson, Hannah Utain-Evans, Mike Ehrenreich and Alan Maass The teachers’ rebellion is sweeping west from Appalachia through the Midwest and across the Great Plains and it shows little sign of stopping there. Less than a month after West Virginia teachers won a victory after their statewide walkout shut down schools in all 55 Continue readingU.S. teachers in revolt
By Robert Devet “Our bias is the market,” said Marco Navarro-Génie, president of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) as he introduced education pundit Paul Bennett. Bennett was there to give a talk on governance in Nova Scotia’s education system at the Central Library on Spring Garden Road this morning. It’s exactly that market Continue readingTeachers confront Paul Bennett, AIMS, on business agenda for education
By Robert Devet Look at it whichever way you want, the decision by the NSTU not to strike was a retreat. Government gave up very little. The pent up anger of 83% of all teachers willing to engage in civil disobedience will remain untapped. This is not to argue with the NSTU decision not to Continue readingLabour in Nova Scotia has its work cut out
Teachers in West Virginia went on strike on February 22 against low-pay and attacks on their healthcare. After nine days of a statewide strike which shutdown public schools in West Virginia teachers won a substantial pay increase. This victory is significant because the teachers struck and won in the heart of Trump country. West Virginia Continue readingThe West Virginia Teachers’ Strike Reader
By Kevin Prosen Earlier this week, the Supreme Court began hearing oral argument in Janus v. AFSCME, a lawsuit that seeks to gut public sector unions by denying them so called “agency fees,” or mandatory dues contributions from workers. One component of the deliberations was the question of “labor peace” — the state’s interest in Continue readingStriking West Virginia teachers show the way
By Andrea Heans I am angry! I am outraged! But mostly, I feel cheated for myself and for my students; because we are being robbed of a sound educational system. A system in which students can thrive, achieve, dream and believe in themselves with the guidance and support of teachers, principals, parents, educational assistants and Continue readingHow government let my students down
By Robert Devet Asking teachers and others who work in the school system directly what it is that works in today’s schools and what needs fixing, now there is a novel idea. Members of Educators for Social Justice (ESJ) are doing exactly that. Their recently posted online survey asks just a few simple questions: what Continue reading“It’s a calling, but it’s getting so hard.” Online survey aims to amplify Nova Scotia teachers’ voices
By Roy J. Adams During the recent college teacher’s strike in Ontario there was a lot of media coverage of the inconvenience suffered by the students and of the possible consequences to their futures. On the other hand there was very little press commentary on the constitutional right of teacher’s to strike. In Hamilton, Ontario, Continue readingTeachers have a fundamental right to strike
By Liette Doucet, President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union. Last week, on the advice of private consultant Avis Glaze, the McNeil government announced it is once again eroding the collective rights of teachers. Instead of investing more resources to support students with special needs, this government has decided to ban school principals and vice Continue readingNova Scotia continues to place needs of students last