BY JIM BRADLEY
February 10 is the 25th anniversary of the start of Australia's longest teachers' strike: the month-long action taken by teachers at Warilla High School, on NSW's south coast, for adequate staffing.
This monumental strike should be remembered by all: its length still far exceeds any other to date (we teachers just don't strike longer than a few convenient hours at a time, do we?).
It was also notable for the incredible support given to the strikers by all sections of the teaching service, the wider trade union movement and the general community — support which was fundamental in sustaining the committed unionists during their darkest hours, and there were a few.
And finally it should be remembered for its almost fairy tale ending: a stunning knockout conclusion won when things were at their grimmest and which had far-reaching spin-offs for other schools.
Any teacher, certainly from the Illawarra, Sydney or Hunter regions, who was in the service 25 years ago would have some recollection of the strike. Many from these regions gave financial and industrial support in a massive fashion: over $30,000 was given by teachers.
There were over 200 secondary and primary schools that stopped work in support for at least half a day. Many, particularly in the Illawarra and in Sydney's inner city and eastern suburbs, struck several times.
The strong leadership, counsel and daily hands-on approach given by teachers' union leaders Barry Manefield, Van Davy, Max Taylor and Charlie Simpson, were fundamental to the eventual success of the strike, as was that of the legendary South Coast Trades and Labor Council secretary Merv Nixon.
Wider union support, particularly from those connected to the wharves and steelworks at Port Kembla, eventually provided the knockout blow that sent the government and its department of education crashing to the canvas.
But the most important group of the great strike of 1976 was undeniably the grassroots Warilla teachers themselves, all 77 of them, led by Douglas "Foot" McCallum.
So just what was the Warilla Strike all about in the first place? How did a motion passed by Warilla staff insisting that a reserve science teacher be permanently appointed become a series of rolling strikes? How could a bunch of middle-class teachers prevail against the overwhelming odds? What were the short and long term gains made by the dispute? And, perhaps most important of all, what can we, as unionists, still learn from the whole episode?
There are two events being organised for the 25th anniversary that will answer these questions.
The first is our dinner on March 10 at the Lakeview Hotel function room, Oak Flats — formerly called Millers Hotel, this was the last gathering spot of the "Magnificent 40" prior to their return to work at 11am on March 10, 1976. Anyone is welcome to join us; the cost is $50 a head for an excellent meal and permanent package of memorabilia. Bookings will be taken up to the first week in March.
The second is a booklet covering the whole strike, with extensive newspaper and strike leaflet resources. Its cost is $5, which will cover postage and packaging.
Bookings for the dinner or orders for the booklet can be made by writing to the Warilla Strike 25th Anniversary Fund, PO Box 3027, Minnamurra, NSW 2533.
[Jim Bradley is one of the "Magnificent 40" and is now a teacher at Oak Flats High School.]