Will Teacher Strikes Influence the Supreme Court's Union Ruling?

Governing: When the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in February in a high-stakes case for public-sector labor unions, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wanted to talk about "labor peace."

Her line of questioning -- and comments made by others during the oral arguments -- may have seemed tangential to the case at the time. But in the months since, teacher strikes have shut down school systems and overwhelmed capitols in five states. Their protests have more often than not led to increased education funding and teacher pay, illustrating the power that unions can wield.

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