In striking are teachers undermining their own profesional standing and authority?

-I have hears the reasons why and in my heart do not blame them for taking the action they have. However I feel that in doing so they are undermining themselves both in their own standing and their authority when it comes to absences from school and maybe other disciplinary matters.

Professional people do not go out on strikeI agree 100% with what you are saying. I don't blame the teachers but I don't think striking will achieve anything. Plus, the government is still in talks with the teacher unions so striking at this moment is a waste of time since they haven't even come to a settlement yet.



I remember reading in the paper that 51% of the public will view teachers in a different perspective now and think they're not as professional but the other 49% will not view them any differently.When teachers strike it is for a stronger contract. It has nothing to do with the students or the school or the community. The contract, or CBA (collective bargaining agreement), is a legal document between the school district and the teachers' association (union). The CBA specifies salary, benefits, and working conditions. Some things are standard in the school code, but all other points are bargained. The contract gives teachers financial stability which is for their families, not their students. All during the school year teachers give all for their students, spending their own money on class supplies, coming early and staying late, calling parents in the evening, and going over and above for their students. Three times during my career I participated in a legal strike so that I could better provide for my family. The third time I was Association President and on the negotiation team. The third time was the longest but when we returned to school, I did not experience any change in my authority or feel undermined in any way. In fact, we returned stronger than ever, and did not experience any significant change in the community school support. Professional people such as doctors and lawyers can be self employed or work in a practice and set their own salary, benefits, and working conditions. If employees or associates, they have to individually bargain on their own. In PA. teachers do not individually negotiate their own contracts. An association can legally represent all the members of the bargaining unit whether union members or not.
if they are leaving the classroom to protest, I do think that reflects on their professionalism
No, they are standing up for what they believe in.
It's their own time they're wasting, not ours.