American Federation of Teachers supports strikes if schools don't reopen safely

An elementary school teacher.
(Image credit: iStock)

The American Federation of Teachers, the country's second-largest teachers union, said on Tuesday it will support any strike conducted because of safety concerns over reopening schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.

President Randi Weingarten said if authorities "don't protect the safety and health of those we represent and those we serve ... nothing is off the table. Not advocacy or protests, negotiations, grievances or lawsuits, or, if necessary and authorized by a local union, as a last resort, safety strikes."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.