Strike!: Twenty Days in 1970 When Minneapolis Teachers Broke the Law

When viewed from our turbulent times, the Minneapolis of fifty years ago might seem serene, but Minneapolis schoolteachers of the day remember it quite differently. It was, author William D. Green said of their recollections, as if theyd been through war. This book recreates twenty days in April 1970 when a then-illegal strike by Minneapoliss public school teachers marked a singular moment of cultural upheavaland forever changed the citys politics, labor law, educational climate, and the right to collective bargaining.

Since the inception of public education in Minnesota, teachers were expected to pursue their vocation out of civic spirit, with low wages, no benefits, and no job security. Strike! describes the history and circumstances leading to the teachers extraordinary action, which pitted the progressive and conservative teachers unions against each otherand both against the all-powerful school district, a hostile governor and state legislature, and a draconian Minnesota law. Capturing the intense emotions and heated rivalries of the strike, Green profiles the many actors involved, the personal and professional stakes, and the issues of politics, law, and the business of education. 

Informed by interviews, firsthand accounts, news reports, and written records, Strike! brings to life a pivotal moment not just for Minneapoliss teachers but for the city itself, whose government, school system, and culture would, in a complex but inexorable way, change course for good.