Red State Revolt

1. The Red State Revolt Defied Expectations

Confounding all expectations, these actions erupted in Republican-dominated regions with relatively weak labor unions, bans on public sector strikes, and electorates that voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

Unexpected Uprising. In spring 2018, hundreds of thousands of teachers and school staff in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona launched a historic strike wave, challenging the prevailing narrative of a politically conservative "red state" heartland. This movement shattered the myth that working-class people in these regions were too brainwashed or apathetic to fight for their interests, especially after many were blamed for Trump's election. The strikes demonstrated a deep, underlying dissatisfaction that transcended partisan labels, revealing a working class eager for change.

Debunking Myths. The revolt exposed the superficiality of the "red state/blue state" paradigm, which often dismisses Middle America as uniformly conservative. While Republican leaders and Fox News largely ignored the strikes, liberal commentators struggled to explain how such actions could occur in "Trumpland," often attributing them solely to egregious low pay. However, the movement's success highlighted that class struggle can emerge anywhere, regardless of perceived political leanings, when conditions become intolerable and a path to collective action is forged.

A New Hope. The strike wave offered a rare beacon of hope in a period marked by working-class defeats and neoliberal austerity. It showed that ordinary people could force their way into the political arena, take control of their destinies, and achieve significant victories against intransigent Republican administrations. This upsurge served as a powerful example for workers nationwide, demonstrating that mass action is not only legitimate but also highly effective in challenging the status quo.

2. Beyond Wages: A Fight for Dignity and Public Education

Opposition to the decimation of public education and the devaluation of teaching as a profession has been a central driving force of teacher resistance in red states and blue states alike.

Deeper Grievances. While low wages were a significant factor, the strikes were fundamentally about more than just pay. Teachers, often working multiple jobs to survive, felt a profound lack of respect for their profession, which they viewed as a calling systematically undermined by politicians and corporate interests. The movement articulated a broader critique of the systematic underfunding, excessive standardized testing, and privatization efforts that were eroding public education.

Systemic Undermining. Educators denounced politicians for devaluing education standards by hiring uncertified staff, increasing class sizes, and eliminating vital programs in arts, language, and sports. They highlighted crumbling infrastructure, outdated textbooks, and the increased burden on teachers to act as de facto counselors and social workers due to broader cuts to public services. This systemic neglect, driven by decades of tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, created a "priorities crisis" where corporate profits were prioritized over human needs.

Privatization Pushback. A major driver of the revolt was the aggressive push for school privatization, particularly through charter schools and vouchers, which diverted public funds to private entities. In Arizona, a "ground zero" for such efforts, teachers directly challenged the corporate playbook of starving public schools to justify "school choice." The strikes raised the fundamental question of whether society's resources should serve human needs or corporate profits, resonating deeply with parents and communities who saw their children's future at stake.

3. Strikes as the Ultimate Lever for Change

Paralyzing production remains the most impactful and empowering action that working people can undertake.

Creating Crisis. Public sector strikes, unlike private sector ones, win by creating a social and political crisis for the state, rather than directly halting capitalist profits. By closing schools, teachers disrupted an essential public service, forcing politicians—who are accountable to the electorate—to address their demands. This pressure extended to parents, who faced childcare challenges, making public support crucial for sustaining the action.

Leveraging Influence. Teachers, deeply embedded in their communities, leveraged their established relationships with parents to gain public support. They framed their struggle as a defense of students and public education, arguing they were "walking for the kids," not from them. This narrative effectively countered attempts by conservative media and politicians to portray the strikes as selfish or harmful to children, turning public opinion in their favor.

Power in Numbers. The sheer scale of participation, involving millions of students and family members, demonstrated the immense structural leverage of public employees. The strikes showed that when workers unite and withhold their labor, they can force concessions from even the most intransigent governments. This power was evident in the state's reluctance to impose legal penalties, recognizing that repression would only "add gas to the fire" of a broadly supported movement.

4. Unity Across Divides Fueled the Movement

For a successful mass movement, people don’t have to agree on partisan politics, on religion, or anything else for that matter. But they do have to come together and fight in solidarity around a shared issue.

Overcoming Fragmentation. A core strategic principle of the red state revolt was unity, reflected in the names of organizing groups like "West Virginia Public Employees United" and "Arizona Educators United." Organizers consciously worked to bridge deep divisions among school employees, including:

• Union vs. non-union members
• Competing unions (e.g., AFT-WV, WVEA, WVSSPA)
• Regional differences across counties
• Diverse political perspectives (Republicans, Democrats, socialists)
• Teachers vs. support staff (bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers)

Shared Goals, Not Ideology. Instead of demanding ideological conformity, the movement focused on "big, burning demands" that resonated with the vast majority of school employees and community members. This allowed individuals with vastly different backgrounds—from Trump supporters to socialists—to unite around common goals like better pay, improved health care, and increased school funding. This approach fostered a sense of collective identity and purpose, proving that solidarity could transcend partisan and social divides.

Inclusive Struggle. The strikes were deliberately inclusive of all educators, parents, and students, regardless of race, gender, or immigration status. In Arizona, for example, Red for Ed placards were printed in both English and Spanish, and Latino educators played a prominent role. This multiracial, multi-gender participation was crucial for success, demonstrating that broad working-class movements can serve as a powerful anchor for fighting all forms of oppression, even if explicit anti-racist demands were not always central.

5. Militant Minorities Sparked and Sustained the Uprising

But these strike movements were not completely leaderless, nor purely spontaneous. In fact, it’s impossible to separate their course from the efforts of those rank-and-file organizers that helped spark and guide them...

Beyond Spontaneity. While national media often portrayed the revolt as a spontaneous eruption, its success was largely due to a "militant minority" of workplace activists. These individuals, often young socialists inspired by Bernie Sanders, possessed a class struggle orientation, organizing experience, and a willingness to act independently of—and sometimes against—hesitant union leadership. Their strategic choices and tireless efforts were decisive in shaping the strikes' dynamics and outcomes.

The Sanders Catalyst. Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign played a critical role in politicizing and coalescing this new layer of leftist organizers, particularly in West Virginia. His message of class politics resonated deeply with working-class communities, legitimizing socialist ideas and providing an outlet for widespread dissatisfaction. This led to the formation of new Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapters, whose members, like Emily Comer and Jay O'Neal in West Virginia, became key figures in initiating and guiding the strike efforts.

Strategic Organizing. These grassroots militants didn't conjure movements out of thin air; they systematically built power through escalating actions. They used social media (like West Virginia Public Employees United on Facebook) to connect workers, disseminate information, and promote real-life organizing activities such as attending hearings, bird-dogging politicians, and organizing "Red for Ed" days and walk-ins. Their focus on building unity, educating members on progressive taxation, and pushing for strike votes gradually overcame fear and union hesitation, demonstrating that sustained, conscious organizing is essential for mass struggle.

6. Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword for Mobilization

Without social media, there’s no chance that the red state revolt would have developed as it did.

Rapid Mobilization. Social media, particularly Facebook groups, proved indispensable for the red state revolt, enabling rapid and widespread communication among tens of thousands of educators across vast geographical areas. It allowed individual teachers from far-flung counties to share concerns, information, and calls to action without relying on traditional, often slower, union channels. This digital infrastructure facilitated the quick scaling up of protests and the dissemination of solidarity messages, creating a sense of collective momentum.

Empowering the Rank-and-File. Facebook groups like "West Virginia Public Employees United" and "Oklahoma Teacher Walkout—The Time Is Now!" became virtual faculty rooms where workers could debate strategies, express fears, and coordinate actions. This empowered rank-and-file members, giving them a platform to organize independently and exert pressure on union leadership. It also allowed for the rapid diffusion of successful tactics and inspiring stories from one state to another, accelerating the spread of the strike wave.

Organizational Challenges. Despite its benefits, social media also presented challenges. The ease of mobilization sometimes outpaced the development of robust, in-person organizational structures, making movements potentially fragile when facing sustained opposition or complex internal debates. Leaders of Facebook groups were self-selected, raising questions about democratic accountability. Moreover, the reliance on digital platforms could lead to a focus on online agitation over systematic, on-the-ground organizing, as seen in Oklahoma, where a lack of deep workplace organization hindered the strike's sustainability.

7. Unions: Essential Allies, Often Needing a Push

We love our unions; we couldn’t have accomplished what we did without them. But we did have to overstep them along the way at certain times.

Complex Relationship. The relationship between rank-and-file organizers and established union leadership was complex and often dynamic. While unions provided crucial infrastructure, legitimacy, and resources (financial aid, research, legal advice), their leaders often exhibited caution and hesitation, particularly regarding illegal strikes. This created a tension where grassroots militants frequently had to push, challenge, and even "overstep" union officials to advance the struggle.

Structural Hesitation. Union leaders' reluctance stemmed from several factors:

• Legal risks: Public sector strikes are illegal in most states, carrying threats of fines, decertification, or job loss.
• Electoral focus: Many unions prioritize lobbying and electing Democrats, fearing that militant action could jeopardize these efforts.
• Low expectations: A long history of defeats and Republican dominance led to a cautious assessment of what could be won.
  However, the "right to work" status in these states, which allows members to stop paying dues, ironically made union leaders more responsive to their mobilized ranks, as they risked losing membership if they failed to act.

Catalyst for Action. Despite initial hesitations, union leadership in West Virginia and Arizona eventually embraced the strike, providing critical support that scaled up the movement. In West Virginia, the unions coordinated statewide strike authorization votes and deployed resources to ensure success. In Arizona, the AEA formed a crucial alliance with Arizona Educators United, offering institutional backing without usurping the grassroots leadership. This collaboration demonstrated that when unions align with and are pushed by a militant rank-and-file, they can become powerful engines for change.

8. Oklahoma's Lesson: The Cost of Missing Militancy

The absence of a layer of militant teacher organizers in Oklahoma, for instance, goes a long way toward explaining the relative weakness of its walkout.

Inexperienced Leadership. Oklahoma's strike, while massive in scale, ultimately fell short of its potential due to the absence of an experienced "militant minority" among its educators. Unlike West Virginia and Arizona, Oklahoma's nascent socialist movement lacked members within the teaching profession, leaving a political vacuum at the grassroots level. This meant that the influential Facebook groups, "Oklahoma Teacher Walkout—The Time Is Now!" and "Oklahoma Teachers United," were led by individuals with no prior organizing experience and limited connections to the state's main union, the OEA.

Organizational Weaknesses. The lack of seasoned organizers led to several critical missteps:

• Premature Strike Date: Grassroots leaders pushed for an early April 2 strike date without sufficient time for systematic, in-person organizing at school sites or for building broad support among all school employees, especially support staff.
• Reliance on Facebook: The movement relied heavily on digital agitation, neglecting the crucial work of building strong workplace organizations and personal relationships necessary for sustaining a prolonged strike.
• Unclear Demands: The OEA's demands for funding remained scattershot, and grassroots leaders struggled to articulate a clear, unified platform for progressive taxation, making it difficult to hold politicians accountable.

Demoralizing Outcome. Despite massive turnouts at the capitol, the strike failed to win significant additional concessions beyond an initial pay raise. The movement's reliance on superintendent-sanctioned walkouts, rather than defiant, rank-and-file-led strikes, left teachers vulnerable when administrators began pressuring them to return to work. The OEA's abrupt decision to call off the walkout without a democratic vote from its members led to widespread outrage and demoralization, highlighting the critical need for strong, accountable grassroots leadership to guide and sustain mass action.

9. Arizona's Triumph: Organizing Against All Odds

Arizona’s strike, the most remarkable work stoppage of the entire wave, would soon make this clear.

Harshest Context, Greatest Success. Arizona presented the most challenging political landscape for a strike, with a powerful right-wing establishment, the weakest unions in the country, and a deeply entrenched culture of privatization and anti-immigrant xenophobia. Yet, Arizona's Red for Ed movement achieved remarkable victories, demonstrating that strategic organizing and militant leadership can overcome even the most formidable obstacles. This success was largely attributed to the "militant minority" within Arizona Educators United (AEU).

Strategic Grassroots Leadership. AEU, led by figures like Noah Karvelis, Dylan Wegela, and Rebecca Garelli (a veteran of the Chicago Teachers Union strike), adopted a systematic and ambitious organizing approach:

• Site Liaison Network: They built a robust network of 2,000 school-based organizer-representatives, ensuring deep, in-person organizing at the grassroots level.
• Escalating Actions: They implemented a series of escalating actions, from "Red for Ed" days and car-marking campaigns to massive walk-ins, gradually building confidence and unity.
• Democratic Process: They engaged members in collectively formulating demands and conducted a statewide strike authorization vote, giving the movement legitimacy and a clear mandate.

Defying Red-Baiting and Union Hesitation. AEU leaders faced relentless red-baiting from Governor Ducey and the Koch-funded right wing, who tried to discredit the movement as a "socialist plot." However, AEU's commitment to nonpartisanship and its focus on broad public education demands allowed it to largely withstand these attacks. Crucially, AEU leaders, particularly Dylan Wegela, persistently pushed a hesitant AEA leadership to embrace a strike, leveraging their organizational strength and the growing rank-and-file momentum to overcome union caution and secure a historic walkout.

10. Strikes Transform Workers and Politics

In the span of a few months, tens of thousands of educators confronted and overcame personal fears, physical exhaustion, Republican bullying, and employer disciplinary intimidation.

Empowerment and Self-Discovery. Participation in the strikes profoundly transformed educators, fostering a newfound sense of individual and collective power. Teachers, many of whom had never engaged in political action before, discovered their capacity to organize, speak publicly, and confront politicians. This experience broke down feelings of isolation and resignation, replacing them with pride, camaraderie, and a belief in their ability to effect change.

Rapid Politicization. The strikes served as a crash course in politics and government for tens of thousands of workers, students, and parents. They learned firsthand about:

• The importance of trade unions and worker solidarity.
• The potency of the strike weapon.
• The systemic influence of corporate money on government.
• The need for progressive taxation to fund public services.
  This rapid politicization led many conservative educators to question their Republican affiliations and even inspired hundreds to run for office, seeking to challenge anti-education politicians.

Shifting Consciousness. The movements demonstrated that public opinion is fluid and can shift in favor of workers when they take a stand. By consistently framing their struggle as a defense of public education and human needs over corporate profits, educators redirected popular anger upwards, against the ruling rich. This process, while uneven, had profound anti-racist implications, as class-based solidarity began to transcend racial and social divisions, laying the groundwork for a broader movement for a radically better society.

11. Legality Yields to Collective Power

It doesn’t matter if an action is illegal if you have enough people doing it.

Defying Anti-Labor Laws. A critical lesson from the red state revolt was that legality is ultimately a matter of power dynamics. Despite public sector strikes being illegal in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona, educators defied these bans and won. This demonstrated that when a strike has sufficient organization, momentum, and widespread public support, the ruling elite finds it difficult to impose legal or financial penalties without risking further emboldening the movement and alienating the public.

The State's Reluctance to Repress. Politicians and administrators, though issuing threats, largely refrained from mass firings, steep fines, or jailing strike leaders. This was not due to sympathy, but a political calculation:

• Fear of Escalation: Repression risked turning a localized protest into a broader social uprising.
• Public Opinion: Widespread public support for teachers made punitive measures politically costly for elected officials.
• Teacher Shortage: While not the primary reason, the existing teacher shortage made mass dismissals impractical.
  This revealed that anti-strike laws are only as strong as the state's willingness and ability to enforce them against a united and determined workforce.

Empowering Defiance. The act of breaking the law, particularly in West Virginia's "wildcat" strike, was profoundly empowering for teachers. It instilled a sense of courage and agency, as they realized their collective power could override legal restrictions. This defiance, often likened to Rosa Parks's stand, showed that righteous causes sometimes require illegal actions, and that true power resides not in statutes, but in the organized will of the people.