W. Va. teachers elated after 5% pay-raises vote

Teachers and school personnel celebrate Tuesday at the West Virginia Capitol after lawmakers approved pay raises for them.
Teachers and school personnel celebrate Tuesday at the West Virginia Capitol after lawmakers approved pay raises for them.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia's striking teachers cheered, sang and wept joyfully Tuesday as lawmakers acted to end a nine-day classroom walkout, ceding them 5 percent pay raises that are also being extended to all state workers.

A crowd of teachers packing the Capitol jumped up and down, chanted "We love our kids!" and sang John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads." Some even wept for joy. The settlement came on the ninth day of a crippling strike that idled hundreds of thousands of students, forced parents to scramble for child care and cast a spotlight on government dysfunction in one of the poorest states in the country.

State schools Superintendent Steve Paine said in a statement that he was "pleased that our students, teachers and service personnel will return to school" today.

Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, formally declared Tuesday evening that the "work action was over" after a consultation among local organizers. That group is the largest teacher organization in West Virginia, and Lee said all 55 West Virginia counties had stood together, adding, "without them, today's agreement would not have happened."

Earlier, Lee had said of the teachers: "We know that they're going to be relieved to do what they love best, and that's taking care of the kids and educating the kids of West Virginia."

The West Virginia teachers, some of the lowest-paid in the nation, had gone without salary increases for four years. They appeared to have strong public backing throughout their walkout.

"We overcame, we overcame!" exclaimed one teacher, Danielle Harris, calling it a victory for students as well. "It shows them how democracy is supposed to work, that you don't just bow down and lay down for anybody. They got the best lesson that they could ever have, even though they were out of school."

Tuesday marked the ninth day of canceled classes for the school system's 277,000 students and 35,000 employees. Teachers walked off the job Feb. 22, balking at an initial bill signed by Gov. Jim Justice to raise their pay 2 percent in the first year as they also complained about rising health insurance costs.

Justice responded last week with an offer to raise teacher pay 5 percent -- a proposal the House approved swiftly but that senators weren't so eager to sign off on. Instead the Senate countered with an offer of 4 percent Saturday, prompting leaders of all three unions representing the state's teachers to announce that they would extend the walkout.

After a six-member conference committee agreed Tuesday to the new proposal, the House of Delegates subsequently passed 5 percent raises for teachers, school service personnel and state troopers on a 99-0 vote. The Senate followed, voting 34-0.

At a news conference after Tuesday's vote, Justice declared victory.

"Today is a new day for education in West Virginia. No more looking back!" he proclaimed, surrounded by education leaders.

Missed school days will be made up, either at the end of the school year or by shortening spring break, depending on decisions by individual counties. Justice said that would not mean families would go without their summer vacations, however.

Senate Finance Chairman Craig Blair said that to pay for the raises, lawmakers will seek to cut state spending by $20 million, taking funds from general government services and Medicaid. Other state workers who also would get 5 percent raises under the deal will have to wait for a budget bill to pass.

Senate Majority Leader Ryan Ferns, a Republican, said talks with the governor's office lasted into early Tuesday identifying cuts everyone could agree to.

Justice said additional budget cuts by his staff will fund the raises, but he insisted in response to a question at the news conference that there would be no damaging cuts to Medicaid or programs that help the poor.

Information for this article was contributed by Robert Ray and Michael Virtanen of The Associated Press.

A Section on 03/07/2018

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