Teachers Union OKs Strikes If Schools Reopen Without Safety Measures In Place
The head of a powerful national teachers union told members Tuesday that its leadership would support "safety strikes" if health precautions are not met amid calls for schools to reopen as coronavirus cases surge.
Randi Weingarten, who leads the American Federation of Teachers, is leaving the final decision to local unions on whether to strike. The AFT — the nation's second-largest teachers union, with 1.7 million members — also unveiled several benchmarks that it said should be met before schools can fully welcome back students and staff.
"We will fight on all fronts for the safety of our students and their educators," Weingarten said in remarks delivered at the union's biennial convention, conducted online due to the pandemic.
"But if authorities don't protect the safety and health of those we represent and those we serve ... nothing is off the table," she warned. "Not advocacy or protests, negotiations, grievances or lawsuits, or, if necessary and authorized by a local union, as a last resort, safety strikes."
The Trump administration has been leading the push for schools to fully reopen in a CONTINUE READING: Teachers Union OKs Strikes If Schools Reopen Without Safety Measures In Place | 89.3 KPCC