It’s a mistake to exaggerate the distinctiveness of West Virginia when we explain the dynamics of the current strike. Of course, it’s clear that the state’s legacy of union militancy has greatly facilitated the spread of this action. But it’s also the case that, like in the rest of the US, it’s been several decades since the last real upsurge in mass action here. People are proud of their history, but the unions in the state have been in sharp decline for decades and are widely regarded as bureaucratic and inept. Strike activity has also been low — until last week.

The initiative for the current action came from a core of young teachers, motivated more by political conviction than tradition. If anything, the current action is helping many people rediscover and reclaim a political legacy that was fading away.

In other words, West Virginia’s labor tradition on its own is a necessary, but not sufficient explanation for the current strike. Without months of active organizing and bold initiatives from a small core of deeply rooted, radical teachers, there wouldn’t be a strike here right now.