No North Carolina teacher strike, despite calls for higher salaries, better working conditions

By Samiar Nefzi

Click here for updates on this story

    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Following Buncombe County Commissioner Amanda Edwards’ calls for a walkout of North Carolina teachers, the North Carolina Association of Educators announced teachers are not planning to strike at this time.

“We are not planning to strike. However, the sentiment behind her statement is true,” Buncombe County Association of Educators president Shannan Peele said.

Edwards’ suggestion came as educators are demanding higher salaries and better working conditions.

Edwards said many teachers are leaving North Carolina because they can make more money in other states. She thinks a walkout would get the attention of lawmakers. She said change is needed to address teachers’ concerns.

The State General Assembly currently has $6.2 billion set aside to improve education in the state, with a $4.75 billion rainy-day fund. Edwards and BCEA are asking for some of the funds to be allocated toward higher wages for educators.

“Right now, it’s storming in our state and county,” Peele said. “They need to use some of that funding for the schools as they been demanded to.”

According to the 2020-21 State of the Teaching Profession in North Carolina report, 8.2% of educators left the profession during the heat of the COVID pandemic.

“We are in the storm,” Edwards said. “It is past time to utilize those rainy-day funds not only to listen to our educators, but to think about the long-term ramifications this has for our school children. When they lose teachers, it impacts their success.”

The Buncombe County Association of Educators and Asheville City Association of Educators released a joint statement, stating the money to prevent the ongoing turnover exists:

“The money to stop the exodus of veteran staff, recruit new ones, provide students with the resources they need, and put North Carolina public schools on the path to sustainability already exists — and is being held hostage by lawmakers who would rather pad the rainy-day fund than address the rainstorm today. We call on the General Assembly to recognize the urgency of this crisis and utilize the $6 billion surplus to fulfill our constitutional obligation to North Carolina students.”

“We’re getting close to a breaking point where something is going to have to change,” Peele said.

“We have seen our teachers and their cries for better salaries and work conditions be ignored,” Edwards said. “We are at a pivotal point across North Carolina when we have educators leaving.”

Edwards and the North Carolina Association of Educators are calling on local government officials to urge the General Assembly to address the wage crisis.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.