Direct Action Works, Part the Infinity

Arizona Republicans, worried that its teachers will strike, just offered them a 20% pay increase by 2020. The teachers are demanding an immediate 20% pay increase, whereas this bill only gives them 6%. I am not going to pontificate over whether they should take the deal or not; there are good arguments both ways and workers should do whatever they collectively decide they want to do. But teachers across the nation should be threatening to do the same thing. That absolutely includes states such as Texas, where teachers could theoretically be fired or lose their teaching license if they go on strike. These laws are only effective if they can be enforced. That would require people wanting to take their jobs. If 50 teachers walked off the job, sure, they would be canned. But if 5,000 do, they have a tremendous amount of power. Even the threat of a strike or other labor direct action can solve a lot of problems. All workers should do more of this.