55 Strong: Inside the West Virginia Teachers' Strike

by Elizabeth Catte, Emily Hilliard (Editor), Jessica Salfia (Editor)

What compelled West Virginia's teachers to strike? How did they organize? What were teachers and allies doing during the strike? And how is the West Virginia labor movement celebrating its victory? 55 Inside the West Virginia Teachers' Strike answers these questions and offers unique, on-the-ground insight into this historic strike. The book includes essays by teachers from around the state, organizing documents, images from the picket lines, and material on the history of the labor movement in West Virginia. Edited by Jessica Salfia, a West Virginia public school teacher, Emily Hilliard, a West Virginia-based folklorist, and Elizabeth Catte, author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia.

Genres: History, Labor, Education, Nonfiction, Politics, American History, Social Justice

130 pages, Paperback

Published July 5, 2018

About the author

Elizabeth Catte is a writer and historian from East Tennessee. She holds a PhD in public history from Middle Tennessee State University and is the co-owner of Passel, a historical consulting and development company.

Reviews

[E.R. Munley]

Proud to be a part of the 55 Strong 💪

[Mary]

I'm not sure if I wasn't reading the good stuff when the teachers' strike happened or if there just wasn't good coverage, but I legitimately learned a bunch from this book. It was uplifting, too, and I'm always excited to see some local history/public history put out professionally in nearly real time.

[Adrian Nester]

All teachers need to read this collection of essay punctuated by beautiful photographs. Why do you teach? This book reminds you why.

[Kate Springer]

55 Strong, and so proud of our work.

[Gregg Wingo]

"55 Strong" is a rallying call for organized labor in America. It is not a history book as much as a written oral history of West Virginia's teachers' and service personnel's first fight against the ALEC-led destruction of our public education system. It is also a testament to the power of social media in politics today. It is also a manual for a revived unionism in our country.

This is also a story I can relate to in a personal manner. In the beginning of 2017, I helped strike a similar fire - but far smaller - in the West Virginia Capitol. My journey was about marijuana legalization, and a history of oppression and the suffering of the sick and incurable. The school system workers had a similar history of oppression and health issues (in the form of insurance costs). We also both shared an internal ally, State Senator Richard Ojeda, a freshman firebrand from the heart of coal country, Logan County. Logan Countians, the coalfields, and West Virginians share a history of direct action and a lack of fear of the corrupt state government. None of us felt that what we were embarking on was impossible - we just knew it would be grueling and dirty from the other side.

The book details how the history of unionism defined the perceptions of the teachers and service personnel, how social media tied them together, how the press and administrators supported them, and how Senator Ojeda inspired a sense of worthiness in them. It is a story of empowerment and the possibility of real democracy for our citizens. There are many great testaments and photos of the actors captured in this book. Two of the greatest quotes in the book are Ojeda's "You are worthy!" and South African June Jordan's "We are the ones we've been waiting for".

To see how the legacy of Mother Jones' coal miner organizing again inspired strikes across the United States pick this book up. To inspire a new generation of activists give this book as an investment in our nation's future!

#55strong

[Leah Willingham]

“Many well-meaning liberal and progressive folks around the country are so focused on party politics that they lose sight of real people and what’s actually important to us. Petty partisan bickering about Donald Trump’s tweets and weekly cabinet rotations played zero role in this fight. People cannot afford healthcare — that’s do or die.”

[MeriBeth]

#55Strong, the movement that ignited a nation. This historic labor movement is captured and illustrated in this collection of teacher-written essays from those on the front lines, many of whom I know personally. I was proud to be a part of #55strong & stand up not only for myself and other teachers, but to fight for our kids & the 200,000 others who were unable to stand up for themselves.

[Ryan]

An important entry into the living history. My only hope is that this is an archive as it's happening (and will continue to happen), rather than one that marks an end.

[Jeff]

Nice collections of essays from the hearts & minds of the WV teachers who defied their governor, legislature, and union representatives during their 9 day strike. Impressed how teachers used social media to untie their colleagues in other counties and framed a narrative to gain the public's support.