West Virginia Teachers In Every County Plan Walkout This Week

CHARLESTON, WV — Teachers at every public school in West Virginia will stage a walkout over two days this week. Union leaders announced at a rally on Saturday that teachers in all 55 counties will participate in the protest on Thursday and Friday after weeks of contentious talks between public workers, educators and state lawmakers over pay and health care.

Thousands rallied at the state Capitol on Saturday amid cold and rainy conditions.

“We’re done. We’re done waiting. We waited and have given them chances and they didn’t want to take it seriously,” teacher Christiana Frye of Cabell Midland High School told the MetroNews. “Honestly I’m praying two days is enough because some people can’t afford to be out longer than that, but the way they’ve treated us so far I don’t know that it will.”

Mary Cathryn Ricker, executive vice president of the national AFT, and Becky Pringle, vice president of the National Education Association, told the Charleston Gazette Mail that teacher shortages are a national crisis.

"West Virginia educators are showing the ways to address that,” Ricker said. “The courage shown here in West Virginia is inspiring others, these teachers are leading the way.”

Teachers want state lawmakers to fully fund the Public Employees Insurance Agency and give them raises.Gov. Jim Justice has proposed freezing the program. If approved, previously authorized changes to the PEIA that would increase costs for all state workers would go into effect during the next fiscal year.

Teachers want long-term funding for the program though rather than to freeze it.

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