This article appeared in the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has details about the end of the strike that you won’t read anywhere else.
Democratic legislators warned the striking teachers that they had to change the makeup of the legislature if they want to get a real change on the health care costs, which was one of the reasons they went on strike.
Shortly after [Governor] Justice announced a deal had been reached, a group of Democratic lawmakers appeared before the crowd, urging the audience to show up for the November election, when all 100 House members, among other lawmakers, have their seats up for grabs.
“If you do not come back this November, they’re going to come back with vengeance,” said Delegate Isaac Sponaugle, D-Pendleton.
He noted that Public Employees Insurance Agency health coverage, which has been the primary concern among many striking employees, isn’t “fixed.” Lawmakers are planning to provide enough funding to keep any premium increases and benefit cuts at bay through at least mid-2019, and the governor has established a task force to study long-term solutions.
“It’s not going to get fixed with the makeup of this current Legislature,” Sponaugle said.
Sen. Mike Romano, D-Harrison, also brought up PEIA.
“Remember who made you come here the last two weeks,” Romano said, “and remember in November.”
Union leaders recognized the excitement of solidarity. There has never been a strike that engaged teachers in all 55 counties. Only 47 counties participated in the last strike, in 1990.
And the teachers know that the movement they started is inspiring teachers in Oklahoma:
Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association union, said of the strike that “teachers and service professionals across the state have put their lives on the line and put them on hold to make sure democracy was upheld and that their voices were heard. This allows teachers to come back to West Virginia and stay. We’re turning the corner, folks; it’s time to come back home.
“I think we’ve awakened a sleeping giant,” Lee said. “Now we’ve learned that, if we open our eyes and unite collectively and watch the process and make sure that we’re following the process, that we have strength, far more than we ever believed.”
He said he isn’t concerned about the possibility of not having 180 separate school days, saying teachers “know that they will be able to get [students] to the point they need to be.”
Before the crowd dispersed Tuesday, it chanted “West Virginia first; Oklahoma next!” Oklahoma school employees have been mulling a strike, according to news reports.
The article obscures the nature of this movement, organized by teachers independent of the union apparatus. Further explanation here : http://newpol.org/content/west-virginia-strike-no-wildcat
It’s the Little Red Hen effect.
The same thing happened in NY with Sheri Lederman. Zero support from the union (either state of national) until she won her case.
Then everyone wanted to be a part of her victory.
“The Little Red Hen (aka, Sheri Lederman)”
Where was AFT
When Sheri brought her suit?
Quiet as a tree
And motionless, to boot
Where was AFT
When Sheri needed them?
Nowhere ’round to see
To fight the test and VAM
Where was AFT
When Sheri beat the state?
“Here I am, it’s me!!
Committed to your fate”
Excellent sentiment and true. When I attended meetings of HE science professionals over the last fifteen years, test bias and algorithm bias have been GIVENS. That our professional support organizations at the state and national level pretend they haven’t been aware verges on criminal. There is no other way to put it even though it’s a civil matter. Pretending education consultants have the capacity to come through on promises is simply in the realm of fairy tale.
My thoughts and prayers are with the current crop of legislators in the coming election.
nailed it.
Yes, thank you Lois for clarifying. Not surprising that the union leaders and the Dem politicians would give brave speeches at the end as if they led this rank-and-file movement. Sure, vote in November, but remember that union leaders and Dems are labor police to keep rank-and-file in line with only one weak outlet, voting every 2 or 4 yrs for whoever the Party puts up. The rank-and-file walkout in West Va ended too soon and was strong enough to force the GOP to cry uncle if it had stayed out longer, b/c no state can tolerate all its public school kids out of school long-term. Society cannot function unless k-12 corrals the kids. Everyone knows this, including Dale Lee head of WVEA and Gov. “Justice” and his GOP and the Dems too. The greatest asset any teacher or employee or worker has is knowing what “power” is, does, and what to do with “power” when you have it, not to be afraid of getting it and using it. This is the troubling “lesson” of the great historic West Virginia wildcat walkout, which scares union leaders as much as it scares the Dems and GOP.
“Withholding power”
The greatest human power
Is power to withhold
It makes the titans cower
A wonder to behold
We finally have power back on after five long days living like it was 1900. Our sketchy cell phone coverage corner of Upstate New York was hit hard by last Friday’s storm and we’re looking at another foot+ of snow forecast for today.
Meanwhile, I’ve been battling a classic head cold for two weeks….the kind that strips away your voice. (Imagine Bob Dylan singing underwater.) On the days our district opened, I wasn’t sick enough to stay home but not well enough to go to school. (I should have just parked somewhere in between and hung out there, listening to the radio and enjoying my car heater. Ha, ha….)
Anyone who has ever taught knows the feeling. Yeah, I could have gotten a sub but then I have to go in and deal with the aftermath -still feeling sick. It’s easier to crawl into the classroom sometimes. Really. Luckily, I have a lot of wonderful students and they’ve been fantastic. Thank you, students.
I mention this recent, personal MESS because 1.) the scraps of information I could glean about the West Virginia teachers’ strike were a HUGE shot in the arm. It’s so encouraging to hear some positive news -not just stuff about Trump’s latest tweets. And, 2.) No matter how miserable I sometimes feel, there are LOTS of educators out there who have it MUCH, MUCH worse than me. Day after day. Year after year. That’s a fact. The evidence is right here on this blog.
So, congratulations, West Virginia teachers and all of you out there nationwide who are hanging in there, too.
I count 13 days until the official start of spring. We can make it.
Thank you, John.
Thirteen days? I’ll be on the table under the scalpel, cutting shears, saws, hammers. And I’ll be happy after it’s done!
The West Virginia teachers’ strike has modeled the type of activism that is needed to fight the forces of privatization. As I have stated before parents, teachers and social justice groups must unite to fight the privatization Goliath. They may have lots of money, but we have votes. As Diane has said before we are many, and they are few. We need to make our voices heard, and our votes count.
YES, VOTE. When I think about the Women’s Suffrage and the suffering women went through for years just to vote, I cringe and am embarrassed by those who deny other citizens the right to vote.
We can learn a lot from those brave, moral, and persistent women re: Women’s Suffrage. But, we can’t wait 100 years.
https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/the-fight-for-womens-suffrage
You’re right, and that model will increasingly include ignoring/not depending on the Democratic Party (which, with the exception of some local elected officials, was AWOL) and the union leadership when it refuses to listen to the rank and file.
Kudos to the teachers, school staff and other public workers of West Virginia, whose courage, solidarity and steadfastness shows how inspiring and successful collective action by workers can be.
You can be sure that elected officials in both parties, union mis-leaders and so-called reformers are all sweating right now, worried that teachers (finally) standing up for themselves and their students might become contagious.
If it does, look out: there’s the potential to sweep these parasites and predators away, and re-set the terms of debate over education, which is long overdue.
Michael,
I’m absolutely not trying to be snarky here but trying to understand your POV as a teacher. (I’m just a parent, not a union member).
If the AFT or UFT or whatever union isn’t on the right side of labor, then why does it matter that the Supreme Court might end required union dues? I mean, isn’t that the argument, that people think their union is so useless and/or corrupt that they should not have to pay dues to support some lazy union officials’ salaries?
Public School Teachers are for the “Common Good.” I sure hope this doesn’t happen in this country. And never say, “NEVER.”
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/neighbor-named-adolf/
VOTE! RESIST! DEMONSTRATE!
This is a great victory considering that WV is a right to work state and that the US is a rabidly anti-union country, unlike Norway, Finland or Germany for example. But those cuts to Medicaid are a vicious way to fund the raise, sure to engender some resentment against teachers and the other public employees.
“. . . sure to engender some resentment against teachers and the other public employees.”
And that is exactly what it is intended to do.