Teachers Strike Over Job Cuts
In England, teachers have gone on strike at Rawmarsh Community School in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, over proposed job cuts. The school plans to cut 34 staff, including up to 20 teachers, in order to reduce a £1.3 million deficit. This would slash one-fourth of the teaching staff, as there are currently 80 teachers at the school.
Teacher strikes are rare n the U.S. Here, it is typical for teachers unions to take the simplistic and wimpy attitude that they should only fight over contractual issues. They will resist violations of their contracts, bad faith by admin during negotiations and, most of all, threats by admin to cut pay and benefits guaranteed by their contracts. But when admin starts handing out pink slips due to budget shortfalls, unions typically acquiesce, arguing to their members that it is admin’s right to do so under Ed Code (so long as seniority rights are protected).
This approach treats newer teachers like fodder, throwing them in front of the train as a buffer against job cuts for more senior teachers. However, it also undermines working conditions for