I can tell you what happens if only a few do it: they get harassed by their admin, possibly even fired (if they haven't yet achieved tenure).

I can also tell you what happens if everyone does it, because I have seen this, too. It's called Working To Rule. It's a classic and effective type of job action that is similar to a strike, but allows you to still collect paychecks. When we did it, admin buckled within a week. Much harder to pick off and punish individuals when the entire staff maintains solidarity.

#strike #worktorule #solidarity #union #teachers #school #education

@MikeDunnAuthor teachers have often worked to rule and are chastised for ‘punishing the students’ when in fact they are punishing the parents, employers and government. This is as it should be but media spins it differently.
@Rickd6 true. We need to really do a good job educating the parents and get ahead of the admin in terms of outreach to the press and the public
@MikeDunnAuthor in my (now outdated, UK-only) experience, academia knows little of solidarity.
@holdenweb that's the function of good organizing

@MikeDunnAuthor

I seem to recall at least once in Ontario when they have done that it has been ruled an "illegal strike".

@the5thColumnist

Don't call it a strike. Just remind them that you're just doing your job....by the book.

@MikeDunnAuthor
Actually, work to rule campaigns in a lot of labour disputes have been ruled "strikes" by various labour board and courts.

@the5thColumnist @MikeDunnAuthor sometimes the work-to-rule has not been ruled as illegal strikes as well. Long fight over the big grey area between "only class time" and "everything a teacher could possibly do".

A work-to-rule some years ago halted all extracurricular sports in my daughters elementary school, but it ran into COVID and was moot, and the work-to-rule ended with a new CBA. Without settling that particular issue AFAIK.

@the5thColumnist yes, I'm aware of that. And it's bs. But so are No strike clauses, which many unions, particularly teachers unions, agree to.

@MikeDunnAuthor

Not striking during the length of a collective agreement is pretty well normal practice.

@MikeDunnAuthor @the5thColumnist But also: there are no illegal strikes, just unsuccessful ones.
@MikeDunnAuthor the first time I read this post I started pondering if this should be understood as working *in order* to rule, or working *according* to rule 🤔
@arildsen @MikeDunnAuthor In Brazilian Portuguese this is called "Operação Padrão" ("Operation Standard"), and it is done by worker classes which are not legally allowed to strike, such as police or customs agents.