It is not often that educators are permitted to strike because they are employed by the state and are considered vital to public service.
I am surprised to learn that you have to ask permission/be permitted to strike. I did not know that some states still have laws against striking.
Therefore, some states have begun to change tenure laws to adhere to the accountability requirements stipulated by the U.S. Department of Education as it relates to teacher evaluation and student achievement.
Getting rid of tenure in favor of "merit" based protections might sound good in theory, and it is something that the current administration is pushing for but I argue that rewarding teachers with career protections based on "merit" is very subjective and could easily be used by states/districts to discriminate against teachers or support teachers that fit their vision.
(CCSSO, InTASC Standard #9, 2013).
The majority of these standards allude to teachers having personal responsibility. I think it is good to be mindful of the huge impact teachers, their attitudes, and actions have on students; not only in the classroom, but also on a student's self esteem, future, and overall feelings about learning.