Anatomy of a Strike

This field experience is a historical examination of events and conditions leading up to and including the strike of 1982 between the teachers and the Paris, Illinois School District 195. A review of the literature parallels many of the conditions that led up to and were present in the Paris strike and its settlement. It also emphasized the relationship of unionism with the rise of teacher militancey. This field study consists of six chapters. Chapter one is concerned with the overview of the problem. Chapter two reviews the historical background of labor unions, and the rise of teacher unions from 1969 to the present. Chapter three reviews the strike of 1978, and the events that led to it. Chapter four is concerned with the events and happenings of the 15 day strike of 1982. The aftermath, chapter five, focuses on the events occurring after the injunction, the settlement and up to the present time. The conclusions of chapter six are that (a) the strike did not achieve its aim, (b) it was financially expensive to those teachers who participated in the job action, (c) the strike created a loss of community good will toward the District 195 educational system, and (d) the strike caused problems and hardships to all populations involved. The recommendation is that strikes should not occur. The literature offers a wide range of attitudes and strategies concerning strikes including (a) reasons why teachers strike, (b) how to prepare for strikes, (c) how to predict them, and (d) how to settle them. This paper deals with the collective bargaining process and its criticisms as well as binding arbitration, interest groups, injunctions, and firing of striking teachers. It also considers new management techniques which would reduce bitterness when the strike is settled