This speech chronicles the history of the teachers' strike in Faribault, Minnesota--the longest teachers' strike in the state's history. After the breakdown of collective bargaining, the school board refused to submit to arbitration by the state's Bureau of Mediation Services. Then the teachers voted to walk out. The Faribault schools were closed, and the strike lasted 46 days. The author includes 10 "premises" about the nature of teachers' strikes, noting that a strike does not come about overnight and that the blame for a strike lies with both sides. (Author/DS)