GWAP TROUBLES: "MOMENTUM IS ON OUR SIDE" - OKLAHOMA TEACHERS UNION LEADER CLAIMS AS STRIKE EXTENDS INTO THE NINTH DAY

Protesters

Oklahoma governor, Republican, Mary Fallin, signed school revenue bills that failed to meet the demands of Oklahoma teachers through the union prompting a strike that is currently on the ninth day. The demands being school funding and higher pay among others... meanwhile the newly approved legislation by the Republican governor would raise teachers' wages an average of $6,100, while protesting teachers want a $10,000 raise over three years.

The strike has closed public schools with schools in the state's largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, were shut on Tuesday and planned to close on Wednesday.
Public schools serving about 500,000 of the state's 700,000 students.

Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said:

"Momentum is on our side."

Apparently motivated by the West Virginia strike that ended with a pay raise for teachers. Many states with unsatisfactory budgets for teachers have also witnessed revolts by the teachers.

Anti tax rise say lawmakers could bolster education spending by severely cutting bureaucracy and waste rather than hiking taxes.

Arizona teachers also seeking higher wages and more funding for education, were expected to protest on Wednesday but not shut schools.

The non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said Oklahoma's inflation-adjusted per student funding fell by 28.2 percent between 2008 and 2018, the biggest reduction of any state.

• GRAPHIC: NEW PHOTOS AND VIDEOS SHOWING ISRAEL'S TREATMENT OF PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS AT THE GAZA BORDER SPARKS FRESH DEBATE
• 
  
• WEED LOVE: LADY ARRESTED FOR ATTACKING BYSTANDERS AFTER WEED-LOVING DOG ATE HER MARIJUANA AND THE DOG OWNER REFUSED TO PAY
• 
  
• ALGERIA MILITARY PLANE CRASH KILLS AT LEAST 250 PEOPLE NEAR BOUFARIK AIRPORT IN ALGIERS
• 
  
• DONALD TRUMP THREATENS RUSSIA 'GET READY RUSSIA' AS HE DARES THEM TO SHOOT DOWN ANY MISSILES FIRED AT SYRIA