The North Carolina affiliate of the NEA, one of the nations two largest teacher’s unions, is planning another teacher’s strike in May.
The NC Association of Educators (NCAE) held its annual convention this weekend in Raleigh where members were told to spread the word that the next strike will be on May 1, a day which also known as “May Day.”
May Day, which is the day picked to be the “International Workers’ Day” by socialists and communists, is supposed to be a tribute to the Haymarket riot of 1886. However, in recent times, it’s been an excuse for anarchists, communists, and socialists to riot and destroy property.
The May 1 event, which was also posted to the NCAE Facebook page, is attempting to re-create the turn of events that took place last year. In 2018, the NEA coordinated a strike in North Carolina. The NEA and NCAE called it a “march for respect” but the reality is it was a coordinated strike effort.
The NCAE, the NEA, and “Red4Ed” groups urged teachers to overwhelm districts with sick time or personal leave requests. The result of the mass requests for sick time and personal leave left districts with no choice but to shut down. Forty-two districts all shut down and canceled classes for over a million students, which is roughly 68% of the state’s K-12 population.
Parents were left scrambling to figure out how to cover the strike day and many students who were preparing for state and national level exams were left with one less day of preparation. This year’s planned strike of May 1st is a Wednesday – the middle of the school and workweek.
The same ‘sick day’ tactic used in 2018 is apparently going to be used this year too:
It’s worth noting that a new award was also given out at this year’s NCAE convention called the “Rodney N. Ellis Sr. Professional Courage Award.” This award was given to NCAE chapters what helped foment the May 2018 strike.
The NCAE’s list of demands during last year’s strike included increased education spending and increased teacher salaries. The only problem was that the state had increased both of those things for the last five years in a row and is set to increase both again this year.
Last year’s strike was political and this year’s attempt is no different going by the NCAE’s list of demands.
The list for May 1 is all about pay, including a “$15 minimum,” an across the board 5% hike for all educators, and Governor Cooper’s biggest wishlist item – the expansion of Medicaid.
The NEA’s president, Lily Eskelsen García gave a speech, as did Governor Roy Cooper Cooper said that he wants to make North Carolina “a top-10 educated State and I mean from cradle to career.” Cooper apparently also called teaching “God’s work.”
The Governor’s official Twitter account did not post its own tweet but did retweet one.
During his remarks, Cooper also called for the expansion of Medicaid, claiming it will bring ‘better health care, lower costs, and new jobs’. On that same note, Governor Cooper apparently also shared his excitement for former Ohio Governor John Kasich to come to North Carolina to share his ‘Medicaid expansion success story’.
LL1885 
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As a retired teacher who has watched teachers come under attack for the last ten years, both nationally and on the state level I am totally in support of this day of respect. Stop using “dog whistles” like “communist” and “socialist” to create a negative take on what the educators are supporting. On the other hand you advocacy for students protections from abuse are much needed and appreciated by teachers. Keep up that focus and leave the attacks on our educators efforts to work together to bring about change to the anti-public school crowd.
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Thank you for your comment.
Personally, I respect teachers who want to speak out or even protest. I support them in that right that we all have – except in this. Speaking as a parent, I refuse support nor endorse the self-serving political actions of the NCAE. They use our teachers and our kids over and over again for their own political machinations. Last year’s event was big and the message was received loud and clear. Why another one?
May Day is well known to be a union ‘historical holiday’ and in the last decade, May Day has been used by communists, socialists and anarchist s an excuse to protest and tear up public property. That is not a “dog whistle,” that is fact. It should bother you. And you should it up with the NCAE, they chose the day on purpose.
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