As students and their families may have heard, D11 teachers are planning to strike on October 8th. The strike will include picketing outside the schools during the day and a rally in Acacia Park at 2:30 pm. Teacher strikes often make headlines, but what are they? Why do they happen? And who are the unions behind them?
Labor unions are organizations made by workers to come together and strengthen their voices. The Colorado Springs Education Association, CSEA, is a labor union representing over 1,500 teachers within District 11. While the union represents many D11 teachers, joining the union is a choice, and it is one that not all teachers make. Teacher unions are important because it gives teachers a larger influence and allows them to create changes that benefit both educators and their students.
The Colorado Education Association states that teachers who have a Collective Bargaining Agreement with their employer through their union earn an average of 30% more than those without a CBA. They also claim that 95% of union members have a health insurance and pension plan available to them, while non-union members fall below 70%. Teacher unions can be very important in ensuring a fair working environment and strong representation.
A strike is an organized stoppage of work to voice concerns about the actions of an employee’s higher ups. In this case, the teacher union organized and announced their plan to strike on October 8th. This is a protected strike, meaning that union members who participate cannot be penalized for it, however they will not be paid for the day they spend out of the classroom. School will go on as usual despite many teachers being absent. Picketing, which takes place during many strikes, is a physical demonstration of the strike. Workers will often gather around their place of work with signs and do chants, like a protest. The D11 teachers announced that they plan to picket.
This strike is caused by many things that have upset the union, including the D11 Board of Education dissolving a master agreement in December, which was a contract between the district and the teachers’ union. In May, CSEA voted and 91% agreed to strike. For those interested in showing their support for teachers and their cause, a rally will take place in Acacia Park at 2:30 pm.
