West Virginia teachers reaping more rewards for walkout

 

West Virginia politicians have learned their lesson from militant West Virginia schoolteachers.

The state’s teachers walked out for 9 days last year and got a 5% pay raise, not just for them but for other school employees.

The teachers paid for food for children out of their own pockets during the walkout, further emphasizing that the teachers wanted a better situation for their students, not just higher numbers in their paychecks.

Almost a year later, billionaire West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said $100 million would be pumped into the Public Employees Insurance Agency for state employees, which includes not just the teachers but everyone one at the schools like custodians.

Justice also will introduce a bill to give state employees an additional 5% pay raise at the next legislative session. Lawmakers would have to approve the hike.

 

West Virginia teachers, paid less than teachers in every state except Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Dakota and North Carolina, suddenly became role models for teachers unions in other states.

Oklahoma and Kentucky were the first to walk out, and cited West Virginia’s strategy as their Bible. Before long, seven states had teachers mad as hell and not going to take it any more, and looking to West Virginia teachers as their inspiration.

Teachers began falling further and further behind those in other careers in 1995.

West Virginia teachers have played a historic national role in turning this embarrassment around.

Teachers don’t have to be nuns with rulers to be fearless and fearsome.