Thousands of teachers rallied at the state Capitol in Charleston, W.Va., last Thursday. (Photo: John Raby/AP)
Feb 26, 2018
Thousands of teachers and other school personnel rallied outside in the West Virginia Capitol on Monday, where union officials announced that the first-ever statewide walkout underway would continue for a fourth day.
"Our teachers and our public employees are getting less in pay per year every year, and people are fed up and fired up about it," said Morgantown High School art teacher Sam Brunett at a candlelight vigil Sunday outside the Capitol.
The strike, which began Thursday, is indeed historic. (A nearly statewide strike took place in 1990.)
The current action is taking place throughout the state's 55 counties, which means roughly 20,000 teachers are taking part.
\u201cAll 55 #WV county school systems are closed again today, Feb. 26. It's the 3rd day of a strike from teachers & school service workers.\n\n@MineWorkers President Cecil Roberts is among scheduled speakers for 2 p.m. rally at #WV Capitol.\n\nhttps://t.co/nPQxBAQ4it From @BradMcElhinny\u201d— Shauna Johnson (@Shauna Johnson) 1519635289
\u201cDay 3 of the West Virginia teachers strike, looking stronger than ever. #55strong @AFTWV @unionveterans\u201d— AFL-CIO \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 | #AFLCIOVotes (@AFL-CIO \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 | #AFLCIOVotes) 1519670006
West Virginia Public Broadcasting explained the reasons for the strike thusly:
Leaders of teacher unions and their members are calling for salary increases, a permanent fix to healthcare through the Public Employees Insurance Agency and a stop to legislation on what they call attacks on seniority. They are also hoping lawmakers will walk away from a bill known as "paycheck protection" that would make union members opt-in yearly to have dues withdrawn from paychecks.
West Virginia ranked 48th in the nation for average teacher pay in 2017.
While Gov. Jim Justice has signed Senate Bill 267 calling for a salary increase of 2 percent this year with an additional 1 percent increase the following two years, teachers and their union leaders say that's not enough -- especially considering teachers were offered a 2 percent increase last year in more economically troubling times.
The West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy tweeted that the legislation "is not enough to keep with inflation":
\u201cThe teacher pay raise @WVGovernor signed last night not is not enough to keep with inflation. #wvlegis #wvpol\u201d— West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy (@West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy) 1519309588
Speaking to CNN at the Sunday night vigil, Jacob Fertig, an art teacher at Riverside High School in Belle, in Kanawha County, laid out what the pay means in real terms: "You know, as a professional degreed teacher, working two jobs, I qualify for WIC and food stamps."
Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation of Teachers has said the teachers "are engaged in a righteous and fundamental American values fight for dignity and respect."
At the rally Monday, Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, said, "We still have a lot of work to do."
"We will be on the picket lines and be back at the Capitol tomorrow. Make sure they hear your voices."
\u201cI respectfully disagree with those who say that our children aren't learning during the work stoppage in West Virginia. To the contrary, they're learning how to stand up for what they believe in. #55Strong #HoldTheLine\u201d— William Ihlenfeld, II (@William Ihlenfeld, II) 1519425826
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just hours away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Thousands of teachers and other school personnel rallied outside in the West Virginia Capitol on Monday, where union officials announced that the first-ever statewide walkout underway would continue for a fourth day.
"Our teachers and our public employees are getting less in pay per year every year, and people are fed up and fired up about it," said Morgantown High School art teacher Sam Brunett at a candlelight vigil Sunday outside the Capitol.
The strike, which began Thursday, is indeed historic. (A nearly statewide strike took place in 1990.)
The current action is taking place throughout the state's 55 counties, which means roughly 20,000 teachers are taking part.
\u201cAll 55 #WV county school systems are closed again today, Feb. 26. It's the 3rd day of a strike from teachers & school service workers.\n\n@MineWorkers President Cecil Roberts is among scheduled speakers for 2 p.m. rally at #WV Capitol.\n\nhttps://t.co/nPQxBAQ4it From @BradMcElhinny\u201d— Shauna Johnson (@Shauna Johnson) 1519635289
\u201cDay 3 of the West Virginia teachers strike, looking stronger than ever. #55strong @AFTWV @unionveterans\u201d— AFL-CIO \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 | #AFLCIOVotes (@AFL-CIO \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 | #AFLCIOVotes) 1519670006
West Virginia Public Broadcasting explained the reasons for the strike thusly:
Leaders of teacher unions and their members are calling for salary increases, a permanent fix to healthcare through the Public Employees Insurance Agency and a stop to legislation on what they call attacks on seniority. They are also hoping lawmakers will walk away from a bill known as "paycheck protection" that would make union members opt-in yearly to have dues withdrawn from paychecks.
West Virginia ranked 48th in the nation for average teacher pay in 2017.
While Gov. Jim Justice has signed Senate Bill 267 calling for a salary increase of 2 percent this year with an additional 1 percent increase the following two years, teachers and their union leaders say that's not enough -- especially considering teachers were offered a 2 percent increase last year in more economically troubling times.
The West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy tweeted that the legislation "is not enough to keep with inflation":
\u201cThe teacher pay raise @WVGovernor signed last night not is not enough to keep with inflation. #wvlegis #wvpol\u201d— West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy (@West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy) 1519309588
Speaking to CNN at the Sunday night vigil, Jacob Fertig, an art teacher at Riverside High School in Belle, in Kanawha County, laid out what the pay means in real terms: "You know, as a professional degreed teacher, working two jobs, I qualify for WIC and food stamps."
Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation of Teachers has said the teachers "are engaged in a righteous and fundamental American values fight for dignity and respect."
At the rally Monday, Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, said, "We still have a lot of work to do."
"We will be on the picket lines and be back at the Capitol tomorrow. Make sure they hear your voices."
\u201cI respectfully disagree with those who say that our children aren't learning during the work stoppage in West Virginia. To the contrary, they're learning how to stand up for what they believe in. #55Strong #HoldTheLine\u201d— William Ihlenfeld, II (@William Ihlenfeld, II) 1519425826
Thousands of teachers and other school personnel rallied outside in the West Virginia Capitol on Monday, where union officials announced that the first-ever statewide walkout underway would continue for a fourth day.
"Our teachers and our public employees are getting less in pay per year every year, and people are fed up and fired up about it," said Morgantown High School art teacher Sam Brunett at a candlelight vigil Sunday outside the Capitol.
The strike, which began Thursday, is indeed historic. (A nearly statewide strike took place in 1990.)
The current action is taking place throughout the state's 55 counties, which means roughly 20,000 teachers are taking part.
\u201cAll 55 #WV county school systems are closed again today, Feb. 26. It's the 3rd day of a strike from teachers & school service workers.\n\n@MineWorkers President Cecil Roberts is among scheduled speakers for 2 p.m. rally at #WV Capitol.\n\nhttps://t.co/nPQxBAQ4it From @BradMcElhinny\u201d— Shauna Johnson (@Shauna Johnson) 1519635289
\u201cDay 3 of the West Virginia teachers strike, looking stronger than ever. #55strong @AFTWV @unionveterans\u201d— AFL-CIO \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 | #AFLCIOVotes (@AFL-CIO \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 | #AFLCIOVotes) 1519670006
West Virginia Public Broadcasting explained the reasons for the strike thusly:
Leaders of teacher unions and their members are calling for salary increases, a permanent fix to healthcare through the Public Employees Insurance Agency and a stop to legislation on what they call attacks on seniority. They are also hoping lawmakers will walk away from a bill known as "paycheck protection" that would make union members opt-in yearly to have dues withdrawn from paychecks.
West Virginia ranked 48th in the nation for average teacher pay in 2017.
While Gov. Jim Justice has signed Senate Bill 267 calling for a salary increase of 2 percent this year with an additional 1 percent increase the following two years, teachers and their union leaders say that's not enough -- especially considering teachers were offered a 2 percent increase last year in more economically troubling times.
The West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy tweeted that the legislation "is not enough to keep with inflation":
\u201cThe teacher pay raise @WVGovernor signed last night not is not enough to keep with inflation. #wvlegis #wvpol\u201d— West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy (@West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy) 1519309588
Speaking to CNN at the Sunday night vigil, Jacob Fertig, an art teacher at Riverside High School in Belle, in Kanawha County, laid out what the pay means in real terms: "You know, as a professional degreed teacher, working two jobs, I qualify for WIC and food stamps."
Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation of Teachers has said the teachers "are engaged in a righteous and fundamental American values fight for dignity and respect."
At the rally Monday, Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, said, "We still have a lot of work to do."
"We will be on the picket lines and be back at the Capitol tomorrow. Make sure they hear your voices."
\u201cI respectfully disagree with those who say that our children aren't learning during the work stoppage in West Virginia. To the contrary, they're learning how to stand up for what they believe in. #55Strong #HoldTheLine\u201d— William Ihlenfeld, II (@William Ihlenfeld, II) 1519425826
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.