For most of America's history, teachers have had few labor negotiating rights and little power to exert them. The National Labor Relations Act established the National Labor Relations Board and helped teachers gain more power in labor negotiations. Many worker rights gained from the 1930s through the 1970s were undermined by the increased…

It was not the longest strike in the history of U.S. teacher labor unrest, but it may be among the most infamous. Teachers in Middletown, N.J. walked out on a Friday in late November 2001, and were back in the classroom just over a week later. In between, 228 members of the Middletown Township Education Association were jailed for their action,…