A Message from President Paul Lemle
Where We Stand on Strikes
Withholding one’s labor is a fundamental right held by all workers—and laws to the contrary should be changed. Our work is THE ultimate source of our power. Striking is a powerful action—and it is prohibited in 37 states, including Maryland.
Despite these unjust laws, strikes happen: educators have recently engaged in illegal strikes in Massachusetts, West Virginia, Arizona, and North Carolina. This advocacy has led to good outcomes for students. A recent study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research examined 772 educator strikes, finding they increased pay, caused additional per-pupil spending, lowered class sizes, and garnered more investment in non-teaching employees. According to the study, student achievement was not impacted by the strikes, which most commonly lasted one day. Strikes are not without risk—some of these unions faced lawsuits and have been fined.
The United Auto Workers went on strike in 2023; they won raises and eliminated unequal pay structures among their members. In a historic first, President Biden walked the picket line—as did then-senator JD Vance! UAW has invited other unions to join them in aligning our contracts to expire together, in May of 2028. We are planning escalating actions each May, while we build partnerships with unions and community organizations to change the law and expand our collective worker power.
Strikes are not the goal, and would represent a failure of collective bargaining, the practice we model and promote. Still, our resolutions direct us to act: “MSEA believes we should use all avenues available… to repeal the [laws]…which prohibit strikes.” Achieving the right to strike is one step in the journey of building the union we need for the near future.