Belabored Podcast #146: West Virginia Teachers Win

We talk to three West Virginia teachers about why they went on strike, how they won, and how the labor movement can carry their momentum forward.

The cover of the Charlotte Gazette-Mail, March 7 (Dedicated Teachers / Facebook)

[contentblock id=belabored-info]

Podcast (belabored): Download

When the teachers of West Virginia prepare for class each day, they’re ready for anything: students with families in crisis, parents battling hunger and job loss, and punishing budget cuts. But when they walked off the job to go on strike in late February, they were prepared for the most high-stakes test of their careers: fighting state lawmakers for a fair contract. And ultimately, it was hope that sustained them through the strike and in the end, nothing could prepare them for the collective thrill of a political victory. We talk to three educators who were on the front lines about their strategy, and how labor can keep winning in schools and statehouses across the country.

We also look at the school safety debate from the eyes of teachers, university student and worker strikes from Illinois to England, and the International Women’s Day Strike. With recommended reading on financial disaster facing Puerto Rico and student debtors.

Belabored will be at Labor Notes 2018! Come see our live recording and stop by our booth. More information on the Labor Notes site.

News

Lecturers on Strike (Jacobin)

Illinois Grad Students Are on Strike to Make the University Accessible for the Working Class (In These Times)

Chicago supporters march as U. of I. teaching assistants’ strike lingers (Chicago Sun-Times)

Michelle: These Teachers Refuse to Be Weaponized (In These Times)

A Call to Action: International Women’s Strike NYC (Left Voice)

Conversation, with teachers Emily Comer, Jay O’Neal, and Leah Clay Stone

Sarah: West Virginia Teachers Walk Out (Dissent)

Sarah: The Rising Ghosts of Labor in the West Virginia Teacher Strike (New York Times)

West Virginia Teachers Are Resurrecting the State’s Rich History of Labor Activism (The Nation)

Argh, I Wish I’d Written That!