A teacher strike occurs when educators refuse to work during a period of time, typically for the purpose of negotiating a contract that addresses specific issues related to wages and working conditions. When a teacher strikes, their salary is suspended and school administrators close schools during the time of the strike. Teachers who go on strike typically make up missed days of work at the end of the school year.
In the wake of the 2018 West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona teacher strikes, a lot of people have been asking what drives teachers to the picket line. In a big way, that answer is pay, with teachers earning about 20 percent less than the average autoworker or meatpacker.
But the fact is, the bigger drivers of teacher strikes are often non-monetary. In 59 percent of strikes, teachers were fighting for nonmonetary issues, such as classroom conditions and reducing class sizes. Teachers also tend to go on strike for social and public good issues, like student transportation and affordable housing.
Those issues matter. The research on teacher strikes shows that they generally have positive effects, mainly in terms of improved educational outcomes for students. However, the impact on student achievement varies by how long the strikes last, and by the specific issues being negotiated. The researchers who studied the most recent teacher strikes conclude that short strikes (five days or less) seem to be the most effective in capturing political leaders’ attention, while strikes lasting longer more closely follow the traditional industrial relations process of holding out until management concedes.