We reproduce here three hyperlinks to an event organised last June by the Oakland Education Association, California, USA, that represents Oakland schoolteachers.
The three videos, showing the comments of rank and file teachers about how they organised their very successful strike action, is a must-see for any active trade unionist today. The very successful strikes of education workers – not just teachers – began in West Virginia, spreading to Kentucky, Arizona and elsewhere. They were movements with great political significance for likely future movements of the American working class. Their initiative, flair and audacity showed the way a trade union struggle can be built and developed.
In the first of these videos, two women touch on a crucial issue for working people from all backgrounds and an issue that the present conservative and pro-management leadership of organized labour has tragically failed to take up to any serious degree, and that is linking labour struggles with the communities in which we live and work:
Kentucky Teachers Stress the Need For Union and Community Links
The next speaker in the link below is Nicole McCormick from West Virginia and like all of the speakers, she stressed the importance of the rank and file leadership of these struggles. She pointed out that initially the union was concerned that there was talk of striking and one official told her it was not a “good idea”. She responded that it was not only her but her husband and many more people talking about striking. It is worth making the point also, that this strike took place in a state in which is was ‘illegal’ for public employees to take strike action:
West Virginia Teacher Describes Events Leading up to the Strike
These comments from an Arizona teacher, Rebecca Garelli, are from the same forum in June 2018. She outlines the strategies used by the teachers to broaden the strike, win public support from parents and other trade unionists and by that means, in effect, to win the battle for ‘public opinion’ in Arizona.
Arizona Teacher Talks About Education and the Recent Strike.
October 9, 2018
These links are originally from the US socialist website, Facts for Working people at:
https://weknowwhatsup.blogspot.com/
