Why do teachers unions not have the guts to strike? They and police and fire unions should be the

[RB TexLa]

most powerful unions in the country.

A statewide teachers strike would be ended with whatever demands the teachers wanted in less than a couple of weeks. A strike by fire or police union would bring a city or parish back to the table giving whatever the union whatever they want in probably less than a day. It would only take one building burning down.

[BadgerKid]

1. Better do it before the transition to charters is done. n/t

[baldguy]

2. In most places it's illegal for public employees to go on strike.

[RB TexLa]

3. Do it anyway.

[baldguy]

10. Then they get fired, and the union leaders go to jail.

That's exactly what the MBA moron administrators running the schools want.

[TwixVoy]

4. Many places have laws against strikes by public workers

It also is bad PR to strike when many others have no jobs at all.

[dsc]

5. not exactly

First, it is illegal for teachers to strike in many states. To name a couple that might surprise you, Michigan and Ohio are two. Now, admittedly they still do happen but schools often hire scabs and run the schools anyway. If other unions support us then we tend to win the strikes but it is still hard.

[RB TexLa]

7. Not enough people to hire if the entire union ignored the law and struck statewide.

[dsc]

9. not every state has state wide employment of teachers

mine does but it is in the south where unions are Satan. In most heavily unionized states the districts are seperate entities.

[tonysam]

19. Oh yes there are.

You'd be amazed how much of a teacher glut there is out here. And newly minted teachers often think nothing of being scabs in order to be in a classroom.

[Thothmes]

24. Reagan fired all of the nations air controllers because

they went on strike. Not having enough qualified personnel to replace them did not seem to be a problem.

[spartan61]

25. When CT teachers went on strike several years ago,

the teachers were thrown in jail. That sure didn't help the cause.

[OhioChick]

6. They're laying off teachers, fire and police here....

Cities/states are broke.

[DailyGrind51]

8. At least in Illinois, there is a glut of newly certified teachers waiting for their jobs.

[stray cat]

11. And how does going on strike actually give money to the state for their jobs?

IF a company or state is broke money for positions are not created by striking. If you want to help you will have to create jobs for them and pay for those jobs. How many jobs can you create and can you create more if someone strikes?

[RB TexLa]

12. They want fires put out, criminals caught, or students taught they find it.

[stray cat]

13. You pay for it - its your money that pays for those things anyway

Cuts are getting made across the board and those cuts have to hurt because states have to balance their budget just like you do. You may want a house - a house may be a good investment but if you don't have the money you don't get one.

[dkf]

14. That will give the states the grounds to terminate all contracts

There are a lot of unemployed or soon to be unemployed teachers and professionals...probably the most sidelined talent and brains since who knows when.

I would not chance it were I these folks

[Catshrink]

15. PATCO.

It looms large in the minds of teachers.

[-..__...]

16. OK... what ruffled your feathers?

Strike and for what reason?

I'm a 26 year professional firefighter and union member.

During that time, we've gone through some pretty lean times, heated negations and set-backs (staffing cuts mostly).

Going on strike was never an option or discussed.

Obviously you've never been in our shoes or have any understanding of the job, because letting "one building burning down" is not in our vocabulary.

[RB TexLa]

17. Just saying the power they have because of what can happen when they do strike

they should have even more than they want. People just don't seem to want to play hard anymore.

[tonysam]

18. They can't. They will lose their jobs in many places in the country.

And if they're fired, good luck for them ever finding a teaching job again.

Retaliation against teachers by administrators is rife. That's why they are so scared.

[demtenjeep]

20. Because teachers are there for the kids.

if they strike, they know the subs and lesson plans would create havoc with the pacing guides and progress.

[LostInAnomie]

21. It's against the law in most places.

[Danmel]

22. In NYS the Taylor law prohibits strikes by public employees

And subjects them to very high fines & potential imprisonment.
Tough for people who need their jobs to feed their kids to "just do it"

[leftstreet]

23. Why don't American citizens have the guts for a General Strike?

Why are you singling out police/fire/teachers?

:shrug:

[Brickbat]

26. They strike in Minnesota.

It's painful and it tears a community apart. Nobody wants a strike. It's a terrible thing to come to.

My MIL walked the picket line 20+ years ago as a teacher. People said to her face that she must really hate kids to go on strike.