Analysis: A National Teacher Strike Isn’t Really Possible. But With Unions Refusing to Go Back Until Classrooms Are Safe, This is What One Would Look Like

Mike Antonucci’s Union Report is usually published on Wednesdays; you can find the complete archive of his reports on labor relations in K-12 public schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on American society, shedding light on the influence of K-12 public school labor relations on our daily lives.

Educational policymakers, government officials, and even the White House are grappling with the challenge of reopening schools for in-person instruction. However, teachers unions have shown varying levels of enthusiasm towards this goal, with some seeking tangible benefits before agreeing to resume in-person teaching.

Surprisingly, many policymakers were caught off guard by the reluctance of unions to return to work, despite clear signs of their reservations as early as May of the previous year.

In the United States, there are over 13,000 school districts, each facing the daunting task of providing high-quality education under the existing local circumstances. This is an exceptionally difficult undertaking.

On the other hand, the task for unions is much simpler. Their primary objective is to protect and ensure the well-being of their members. From their perspective, no exposure to others is safer than any exposure, regardless of the relative safety of the school environment. Staying at home is their most defensible position.

In many cases, school districts have accommodated the demands of the unions. A study published in Education Finance and Policy revealed that a significant majority of districts that reached formal agreements with unions on distance learning reduced teacher workload, eased performance evaluations, and maintained pre-COVID levels of pay. California even enacted a ban on teacher layoffs.

Unions benefit from reduced working hours, less oversight, job security, and stable compensation. Therefore, it is understandable why they may not be eager to send their members back into a drastically changed classroom environment.

While many teachers express dissatisfaction with remote learning and yearn for a return to normalcy, unions persistently convey the message that by staying at home, they are protecting the lives of both teachers and students. Consequently, teachers may be reluctant to take any risks if not required to do so.

Although there are only two national teachers unions, and they are not in competition, organizing a nationwide teacher strike is virtually impossible. Labor laws vary significantly from state to state, meaning that what may be a legal strike in one state would be illegal in another. Additionally, the unions lack the capacity to orchestrate such a large-scale strike, and not all state and local affiliates would participate if they attempted to do so. Furthermore, this does not account for the millions of educators in private, charter, and nonunion public schools.

However, if a national teacher strike were feasible, the current situation would closely resemble it. The level of adherence would heavily depend on the political climate in each locality. Therefore, places like Los Angeles and Chicago may exhibit militancy, while New York City may see intense negotiations with some compromises, Florida may have complaints but compliance, and Southern and rural states may quickly return to normal operations.

So, how can we end this virtual strike and bring teachers back to the classroom? Even union-friendly Democrats, including President Joe Biden, have faced setbacks in finding a solution. President Biden’s promise to reopen most schools within the first 100 days of his administration was met with caution from Dr. Anthony Fauci, who stated that mitigating circumstances could hinder this plan.

California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a reopening plan, only to have it swiftly dismissed by the California Teachers Association and its allies in the legislature. Frustrated, Newsom candidly expressed his feelings during a conversation with the Association of California School Administrators, suggesting that if vaccinations were a requirement for everyone, in-person instruction would not be possible in the state. He urged transparency and avoided misleading people.

Although many states have prioritized teachers for vaccination, unions have not made commitments that vaccinated teachers will return to work. This raises questions about the validity of their priority status, as it means that millions of elderly and vulnerable individuals will have to wait while younger, healthier teachers receive vaccinations and continue to stay at home.

To make matters even more uncertain, unions are preparing to defend members who refuse to be vaccinated.

In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the complexities of labor relations in K-12 public schools to the forefront. Reopening schools for in-person instruction requires effective collaboration between policymakers, schools, and teachers unions. Balancing the well-being of educators, students, and the public with the need for quality education is a challenging task that requires careful consideration and negotiation.

There exist several approaches to resolving labor disputes, such as offering rewards, implementing penalties, or combining both approaches. However, these methods alone are not sufficient to bring an end to the ongoing standoff.

Is there any amount of scientific evidence that could convince a teacher to return to work if they have concerns about their safety and well-being? Is there a limit to the number of protective measures they would desire? While unions may be requesting substantial financial support, how much will it take before they strongly urge their members to resume work, regardless of whether they demand it?

Unions are delaying the process because they have the ability to do so. Their primary objective is to avoid making a potentially unwise or unsafe decision, hence they prefer to not make a decision at all and instead hope for a significant improvement in infection rates that will rescue them.

Although this may seem like an unsolvable problem, there are actually only three options available:

1) Accept the current state of affairs endorsed by the union. Make the most out of online instruction and wait for circumstances to change.

2) Reopen the schools, which would result in a traditional strike scenario where the union withholds labor and management withholds pay.

3) Engage in negotiations to secure the best possible agreement and convince the union to support it. Certain districts and unions have successfully reached and implemented reopening plans. Even if these plans are imperfect, they align both parties on the same side.

None of these options are perfect. The detrimental impact of learning loss has already occurred and is bound to worsen. Nevertheless, if the goal is to reopen schools, one must choose the best flawed idea available.

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