Representatives from more than 15 local labor unions showed support for the striking Strongsville Education Association at a rally on the City Commons Friday evening.
"We want to show our support for Strongsville teachers," said Harriet Applegate, executive secretary of the North Shore AFL-CIO, which organized the event. "But we also want to shine the light on the importance of collective bargaining to resolve issues."
More than 300 union members, including at least 100 Strongsville teachers, listened as representatives from the various unions pledged support for the SEA.
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They urged the striking teachers to remember the steelworkers' catch phrase: One Day Longer.
"This terrible situation we are faced with here is the best argument I know for collective bargaining," Applegate said to cheers from the crowd.
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She promised the AFL-CIO and other unions would stand with the SEA "until you win this strike."
Tracy Linscott, president of the SEA, called on Strongsville School Board members to agree to binding arbitration.
"We are calling on our board of education to stand up today for our students," Linscott said.
Friday marked the end of the sixth week of the teachers strike in Strongsville.
Another event set for Friday evening was canceled, in part, because of the union rally. A roundtable forum for the community to talk about the strike was called off by Strongsville officials who worried about crowd control and safety issues.
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For other stories on the teachers' strike, click here.
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