When it comes to achieving raises and improving working conditions in the classroom, Teacher Strikes get a passing grade, a recent study found.

Researchers analyzed 772 Teacher Strikes between 2007 and 2023 and found Strikes increased Teachers’ compensation by 8%, or $10,000, five years after the labor action, and that Student-Teacher ratios declined by a half a student three-to-five years later.

In the year directly following the Strike, Teachers received 3% raises, or an average of $2,000.

Educators’ benefits also improved by a range from 6% to 9%, or $2,700 to $3,400 on average five years following the Strike. 

But Strikes didn’t just help Teachers get raises - they also often resulted in School Districts increasing funding for schools, the study found.

School Districts increased funding by $600 to $1,300 per student three to five years following a Strike.

The results indicate Strikes are an effective tool that help Teachers achieve their goals, according to the report’s Authors - Melissa Arnold Lyon at the University at Albany, Matthew Kraft of Brown University and Matthew Steinberg of the Education Advocate Group Accelerate.

One reason for the success of Teacher Strikes is because teaching positions require licenses and a Bachelor's Degree, making Teachers difficult to replace, especially on a large scale.

“Because education is such a salient industry, even a one-day Strike can have a big impact,” Lyon told News Outlet Vox. “News media will pick it up, people will pay attention and parents are going to be inconvenienced.  You have these built-in mechanisms for attracting attention that other types of protest do not.”

The vast majority of Teachers who went on Strike - 89% - sought raises and improved benefits, while 59% of Strikes were motivated by hopes to improve working conditions by lowering class sizes and boosting the number of Non-Instructional Support Staff.

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: Teacher strikes win raises, study finds - The Chief (thechiefleader.com)

File Photo Courtesy Of The Chicago Teachers Union’s Facebook Page.