Was Wednesday's 'sick out' by Madison teachers an illegal strike?

State law prohibits public school teachers from striking. So did Wednesday's "sick out" by Madison School District teachers constitute an illegal strike? No, said John Matthews, Madison Teachers Inc. executive director, who called the event "a political action," not a strike. "They're not protesting against their employers," he said. "The employer had nothing to do with this. This is trying to save public education in Wisconsin." Madison school officials didn't respond immediately Wednesday to requests for comment. Peter Davis, legal counsel with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, which administers the state's collective bargaining laws, declined to say whether the action..