A strike by the staff of the nation’s largest teachers’ union has led to President Biden canceling a speech in Philadelphia. The strike, initiated by the National Education Association (N.E.A.) staff union, began on Friday over issues including the revocation of holiday overtime pay and lack of transparency regarding $50 million in outsourced work. As a result, the last three days of the union’s annual convention were disrupted as delegates respected the picket line.
President Biden, known for his support of unions, decided not to cross the picket line, resulting in the cancellation of his scheduled speech. Despite this, he still plans to visit Pennsylvania over the weekend.
The N.E.A. has approximately 2.5 million members nationwide and the staff union represents over 350 employees at the union’s headquarters in Washington. The staff union, known as the National Education Association Staff Organization, authorized a strike in April after their three-year contract expired in May. A one-day walkout took place in June as a form of protest.
In response to the strike, the N.E.A. stated its commitment to a fair bargaining process and criticized the staff union for spreading misinformation. It emphasized that it provided competitive salaries and benefits, with a proposed increase in the average salary of staff union members from $124,000 to $133,000.
While strikes by staff members of unions are not uncommon, they serve as a means for employees to voice their concerns and advocate for their rights. Notably, employees of the United Food and Commercial Workers union and a local chapter of the Service Employees International Union in California have engaged in similar actions in the past.
