PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Why Florida Teachers Can't Strike the way Chicago Teachers Can

Florida teachers are showing their support for Chicago teachers on strike by wearing red.

Karen Aronowitz is president of the United Teachers of Dade. She says Chicago teachers are standing up for themselves, and their students.

“And that includes physical facilities of the schools, schools without air conditioning, schools that never received the proper materials. And the general public sometimes just sees this as a money fight and it is not just a money fight. That is why we are wearing red. In solidarity,” Aronowitz said.

Florida teachers are not allowed to go on strike because of collective bargaining and because Florida is a right-to-work-state.

Teachers get to negotiate their contracts, and in turn they cannot strike. If they do, union leaders say teachers can be fired on the spot.

The strike that started collective bargaining in Florida took place in 1968.

Related Content
  1. K 12 Inc.'s Virtual Teaching Under Investigation