- Thirty-seven (37) states prohibit teacher strikes. Read the Allegheny Institute comparison of 50 states here. Additional source: NEA Media Relations Outreach Specialist, Jasmine Lyons (JLyons@nea.org) State Laws
- The vast majority of these 37 states (seen in the above link) do not forcibly resolve contract impasses by a fixed date. They rely on mutual agreement while prohibiting strikes. They take the principled position that children and taxpayers have a right to expect strike-free education from public money.
- Act 195 was passed in 1970 which gave teachers a near unlimited 'right to strike'.
- Act 88 (current law) was passed in 1992 to impose some restrictions on the teachers 'right to strike'. 180 academic days must be completed in the school year. Strikes can still last up to a month in duration, and can still occur year-after-year in a school district.
Pennsylvania is the "teacher strike capital" of the United States:
- Pennsylvania still has more teacher strikes than any other state in the nation. Tens of thousands of innocent children are regularly ejected from their classrooms:
2002-2003: 34,000 children
2003-2004: 37,000 children
2004-2005: 14,000 children
2005-2006: 44,000 children
2006-2007: 38,000 children
2007-2008: 24,000 children
- Pennsylvania averages around 12 teacher strikes per year and was home to 60% of all the nation's strikes from 2000 to 2007.
Pennsylvania's top 20% salary ranking is higher when adjusted for cost of living. Pennsylvania ranks #4 in the nation for average teacher salary when adjusted for cost of living (Source: the Commonwealth Foundation).
