The Anatomy of a Teachers Strike

The 1980 Springfield Public Teacher's Strike

8th grade teacher Charles Flink

Ask most Springfield Education Association members why the Springfield Public Teachers voted 568 - 352 in favor of the first public work stoppage in the history of the city and they will give you one word: RESPECT. Many teachers were tired of taking all of the blame for the breakdown in values, the economic woes of a changing city, and for low test scores. Many will tell you that the patience of the teachers had worn thin with a cavalier mayor and school committee and a complacent Springfield Federation of Teachers leadership. On April 18, 1980 teacher frustration came to the boiling point which resulted in an 18 day work stoppage that effected 1,800 teachers, 25,000 students, and an entire city of 155,000. Acrimony from the strike continues in 1998 and interpretations of the events can be night and day. The goal of this web page is to show the seeds of teacher frustration, the workings of a strike, and the effects of the teachers strike.

• Background on Springfield School System
• Seeds of a Teachers Strike
• School is out but the Strike is on
• Issues on the Table
• The Settlement
• An Interview with the Mayor
• An interview with current SEA president
• Analysis
• Acknowledgements

• The official NEA homesite
• An article on Race and Springfield Politics from The Springfield Advocate
• The MTA homepage
• The Springfield School System Homepage