Teachers in Ohio go on strike after requests for more staffing, smaller class sizes and A/C ignored

Teachers in Columbus, Ohio, home to the state’s largest school district, went on strike Monday over smaller class sizes and building safety demands after bargaining negotiations with the school board stalled.

The Columbus Education Association, the teachers union, said in a statement on its website that its educators and school communities “are on strike for our students” two days before the new school year is scheduled to begin. The union voted to go on strike Sunday and said it would be on the picket line beginning at 7 a.m. Monday.

The union said the school board walked away from the bargaining table on July 28 and has refused to agree to language in a contract that “will guarantee Columbus students basics like air conditioning, appropriate class sizes, and full-time art, music, and P.E. teachers in elementary schools.”

“The Columbus Education Association’s bargaining team has negotiated for months in an attempt to reach an agreement, but Columbus City Schools continues to ignore the voices within our community and invest in our schools in a way that will improve learning conditions for our students,” the statement said.

The union said on Twitter Sunday night that 94% of its members voted to reject the school board’s latest offer and go on strike for the first time since 1975. The union represents more than 4,000 teachers and education professionals.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teachers-ohios-largest-school-district-go-strike-2-days-start-new-scho-rcna44239