The Nation : Mississippi School Strike

Teachers in several communities across Mississippi voted to go on strike today in a pay dispute, despite a judge’s order forbidding it. However, the Mississippi Assn. of Educators, which issued the statewide strike call to its 13,000 members, “plans to comply with the restraining order and notify all of our locals of the order,” acting Executive Director Herman Coleman said. But he noted that there were questions about whether Judge Paul G. Alexander, who issued the restraining order, had jurisdiction statewide. Before news of the statewide order, about 50 teachers groups had vowed to walk off the job. Mississippi teachers earn an average yearly salary of $15,971, the lowest in the nation.