The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is honored to present a new exhibit in our Solidarity Gallery, The Children of Mother Jones: West Virginia Educators’ Strikes as Care Work, a tribute to the resolve and solidarity of West Virginia educators and service personnel who stood up to protect the future of public education. We dive into the historic and powerful educators’ strikes that took place in 1990, 2018 and 2019 through an exhibit of homemade protest buttons, signs, t-shirts, songs, chants, and memes from the teachers themselves and including a narrative by Emily Hilliard (author of Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore & Everyday Culture in Appalachia). Join us on August 9 for the gallery opening featuring guest speakers, music, and light refreshments.

In 2018, teachers and service personnel rallied together to safeguard Public Employee Insurance (PEIA) benefits and secure fair wages amidst a declining workforce in a strike lasting nearly two weeks. The following year, workers united again to prevent the redirection of much-needed public school funding towards private charter schools. Echoing the resilience of unionist coal miners during the Mine Wars era,  workers across the state sported red bandanas, the marker of solidarity during the Battle of Blair Mountain.

The resonance of the West Virginia Educators’ Strikes was felt nationwide. Teachers in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona, Colorado, and North Carolina staged strikes or walkouts in the following months. While some victories were achieved, there are ongoing battles still facing West Virginia teachers, including the expansion of charter schools and increases in PEIA premiums. This exhibit sparks conversations and encourages our visitors to reflect on the sacrifices made by educators and the importance of unity for the future of education and unions.

This new exhibit is made possible by the generous support of the West Virginia Humanities Council, the Waymakers Collective, the Pyles & Turner Foundation, and our card-carrying Museum Members.

In spring of 2023, Nicole McCormick recorded several oral history interviews with voices from the 2018 West Virginia Educators’ Strikes.
As part of this exhibit, we’re providing each of the interview recordings
in full here.

Nicole McCormick is a mother, educator, labor organizer, and musician.
She was a leader in the 2018 and 2019 historic statewide West Virginia Educators' strikes.

Dani Parent is an English and special education educator, a climate organizer, and a dedicated unionist who resides in Huntington, WV.

Wilma Steele is a retired art teacher with decades of service in the Mingo County school network, and is an active Associate Member of United Mine Workers Local 1440 in Matewan.

Michael Staggers is a father, husband, high school Social Studies educator, and assistant football coach from Keyser, and is a proud advocate for labor and education in West Virginia.

Parry Casto is a husband, father, elementary educator, musician, and festival producer who lives and teaches in Huntington, WV.

Megan Kueck,
advocate.

Michelle Clemmer is a mother of 2 sons, has been an ESP for 20 years, an advocate for education, and a dedicated union member.

Jenny Craig is a special education teacher, OCEA president, West Virginia Democratic Party recording secretary, and troublemaker.