The West Virginia teachers strike appeared all but certain to carry into next week after state legislators passed a bill late Saturday that would give educators a smaller raise than the governor had told them they would get.
The state Senate approved a measure granting teachers, other school personnel and state employees a 4 percent raise to end a statewide walkout that has closed schools in every county for seven days.
But the deal announced by Gov. Jim Justice (R) earlier this week ― and the one that the West Virginia House of Delegates had overwhelmingly approved in order to end the work stoppage ― would have given teachers and other school employees a 5 percent raise and state employees a 3 percent raise.
Unions representing school employees weren’t happy with the Senate’s decision to split the difference on raises. If the numbers proposed by Gov. Justice were going to be changed, they said they wanted all state workers brought up to a 5 percent pay hike.
