Looking back at the 1975 Columbus teachers strike

The union and school board were able to find a resolution quicker than the last time Columbus teachers went on strike in 1975.

Flashback: With "Young Frankenstein" in theaters and "Kung Fu Fighting" inescapable on the airwaves, both sides remained "hopelessly deadlocked" in negotiating a new teacher contract, AP reported.

Amid rampant inflation reaching as high as 12%, the district claimed it couldn't afford teachers' demands for higher paychecks.

By the numbers: First-year teachers made $8,070 per year back then, with the average teacher earning $11,500.

• That would be $45,900 and $65,400 in today's money, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

State of play: The union voted overwhelmingly on Jan. 5, 1975, to strike.

• Substitutes, administrators and volunteers kept schools open, though only around one-third of students attended class.

Yes, but: State law at the time banned work stoppages by public employees, so the school district took strikers to court.

• A local judge deemed it illegal and required teachers to return to class, thus ending the seven-day strike.
• His order protected them from workplace retaliation.

The intrigue: Picketing began the same day Democrats took control of both Ohio Statehouse chambers.

• A Cleveland lawmaker quickly introduced a bill to protect public employees' bargaining rights, but Democrats didn't have time to take action while the strike was ongoing because Republican Gov. Jim Rhodes took office a week later.

In the end, both sides negotiated a pay increase for teachers a month after the strike ended, and labor peace continued for the next 47 years.