The 1968 Florida Teachers’ Strike: Public Sector Unionism and the Fight against Sunshine State Conservatism

Dr. Jody Baxter Noll recounts the 1968 Florida Teachers’ Strike, in which 27,000 teachers across the state, amidst a shift in Florida politics toward a pro-business and suburban “Sunshine conservatism” reluctant to raise taxes for public education, submitted their resignations to gain collective bargaining rights and improved school funding. Noll is a Lecturer in the History Department at Georgia State University and author of The 1968 Florida Teachers’ Strike: Public Sector Unionism and the Fight against Sunshine State Conservatism . Related Resources: The 1968 Florida Teachers’ Strike: Public Sector Unionism and the Fight against Sunshine State Conservatism Related Collections: AFT Office of the President Records (LR001553) AFT President’s Office: Albert Shanker Records (LR001553_Shanker) AFT Southern Regional Office Records (LR001863) Howard Hursey Papers (LP2047) Episode Credits Interviewee: Jody Baxter Noll Producers: Dan Golodner and Troy Eller English Music: Bart Bealmear

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The 1968 Florida Teachers’ Strike: Public Sector Unionism and the Fight against Sunshine State Conservatism is an episode from Tales from the Reuther Library by Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University.

This episode is 1:01:51 long.

This episode was published on Jan 15, 2026.

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