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President Biden will no longer speak at Philly teachers’ union gathering after strike cancels conference

Biden’s campaign says he still plans to travel to Pennsylvania but provided no further information.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave at the crowd as they make their way out at Strath Haven Middle School in Wallingford in March.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave at the crowd as they make their way out at Strath Haven Middle School in Wallingford in March.Read moreTyger Williams / Staff Photographer

President Joe Biden will no longer speak at the National Education Association conference this weekend after the organization’s staffers announced a strike on Friday, prompting the association to suspend its programming.

Biden’s campaign said he still plans to travel to Pennsylvania but provided no further information.

The logistical change comes as Biden had hoped to do a blitz of media appearances and events following calls for him to drop out of the presidential race this week. An interview on ABC with George Stephanopoulos, his first televised interview since the debate, was to be broadcast Friday night after Biden rallied in Madison, Wis. He had then planned to speak at the conference at the Convention Center in Philadelphia alongside first lady Jill Biden on Sunday.

The National Education Association Staff Organization represents staff who work for the union, which is the largest teacher’s union in the country.

NEASO said Friday that they were on an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike against the NEA headquarters in Washington, D.C., filing two ULP complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.

The NEA said in a statement: “We have crafted in good faith a proposal for our NEASO staff to address their expressed interests while ensuring the longer-term health of our organization and the needs of our members. We will respect our staff’s picket lines. In the end, we are confident there will be an agreement that ensures we continue to serve our mission and support our members.”

The conference, which started on Thursday, was expected to draw 7,000 members to Philadelphia. Its national president, Becky Pringle, is a North Philadelphia native and Girls’ High graduate.

Biden has long touted his record as the most pro-union in history. In September he became the first sitting president to join a picket line, marching with autoworkers near Detroit.

Staff writers Maddie Hanna and Fallon Roth contributed to this article.