Teachers Strike Story Archives - Page 2 of 3 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Remembering the WV Teacher Strike with Brad McElhinny

Brad McElhinny almost missed the first rumblings of the teacher’s strike.

This issue was on almost nobody’s radar screen until MLK Day, when Brad stumbled into West Virginia Education Association president Dale Lee at a teacher’s rally at the Capitol.

“‘Lee said, ‘I know out there, people are talking about a strike’…and my ears perked up and I asked, ‘You said strike, you just don’t drop that work casually, right?’

“And he said, ‘No, we don’t,’ and before you knew it, thousands of teachers in the Capitol…and if you keep a scorecard, pretty well won.”

On this week’s Front Porch podcast, the WV Metronews reporter recounts the teacher’s strike from beginning to end, and we debate its ongoing effects on West Virginia and the nation.

Also, SNAP work requirements, the Gazette-Mail purchase, and Led Zepplin.

Welcome to “The Front Porch,” where we tackle the tough issues facing Appalachia the same way you talk with your friends on the porch.

Hosts include WVPB Executive Director and recovering reporter Scott Finn; economist Jessi Troyan of the free-market Cardinal Institute; and liberal columnist and avid goat herder Rick Wilson, who works for the American Friends Service Committee.

An edited version of “The Front Porch” airs Fridays at 4:50 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s radio network, and the full version is available at wvpublic.org and as a podcast as well.

Share your opinions with us about these issues, and let us know what you’d like us to discuss in the future. Send a tweet to @radiofinn or @wvpublicnews, or e-mail Scott at sfinn @ wvpublic.org

The Front Porch is underwritten by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Gazette-Mail. Find the latest news, traffic and weather on its CGM App. Download it in your app store, and check out its website: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/

Six Appointed to West Virginia Employees' Insurance Task Force

Six more women will join a task force to seek a long-term funding solution to an insurance program for teachers and other public employees.

Gov. Jim Justice announced the latest appointments Monday after receiving complaints that his initial picks included only two women.

The task force is scheduled to meet Tuesday, nearly a week after a nine-day teacher strike ended.

The latest appointees are Independence Middle School teacher Sarita Beckett, Marshall Health CEO Beth Hammers, Wheeling accountant Lisa Simon, Aetna Insurance Medicare Medical Director Dr. Sherri Young, Berkeley County schools’ human resources coordinator Amy Loring, and Helen Matheny, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center’s director of collaborative relations and initiatives.

Justice and the Legislature agreed to freeze Public Employees Insurance Agency premiums, deductibles and co-pays for the coming year and provided $29 million in supplemental funding.

What Are the Lessons from the Teachers' Strike?

Now that the teacher and school employee work stoppage is finally at an end, Rick Wilson and Jessi Troyan are on the Front Porch take a look back and try to determine what comes next.

Is this really a resolution where everyone involved can “take home a win”?

With talk of similar actions in similar actions in Pittsburgh and Oklahoma, could this be a sign of more to come?

What does way the strike was handled on both sides say about West Virginia as a state?

Welcome to “The Front Porch,” where we tackle the tough issues facing Appalachia the same way you talk with your friends on the porch.

Share your opinions with us about these issues, and let us know what you’d like us to discuss in the future. Send a tweet to @radiofinn or @wvpublicnews, or e-mail Scott at sfinn @ wvpublic.org

Q & A: Wyoming County Teacher Claims Place in W.Va. History

Wyoming County was one of the first school systems to decide to walk off the job during the recent statewide teacher strike, essentially starting what…

Wyoming County was one of the first school systems to decide to walk off the job during the recent statewide teacher strike, essentially starting what some are calling a labor movement. West Virginia Education Assocation President Dale Lee says Wyoming along with Logan, Mingo and McDowell made the first move.

For about two weeks, teachers from across the state held signs and led chants inside the Capitol. Inside Appalachia host Jessica Lilly caught up with one of those teachers, Nina Tunstalle, on her way up to Charleston.Tunstalle, who teaches fourth-graders at Mullens Elementary, grew up in southern West Virginia. She recalled the meeting with union leaders when they first made the decision to stop coming to work.

“Immediately, the tone of the meeting turned into, We have to do something,” Tunstalle recalled.

Tunstalle said the meeting got a little chaotic as teachers debated whether or not to walk off the job. There was concern about losing pay.

“At that point, it was just, ‘Well, we’re just going to try and wait around see what happens and see what everybody else is doing,’ and just for Wyoming County, that wasn’t an option,” Tunstalle said.

Tunstalle works three jobs: She’s a full-time teacher, part-time social worker, and part-time bartender. She’s said she works those jobs so she can help her parents and try to get ahead, which isn’t easy as a single mom.

In the meeting with union leaders, she began to think about how Wyoming County has been at the bottom of most state education rankings. She stood up and quoted the Christian Bible saying, “Those that are last shall be first, and that’s just the tone that we set from early on.”

“I teach history,” Tunstalle said. “This is a present-day history lesson. I’m not telling my kids to open up the page to page 15, and let’s read [about] the people who are fed up the people who are being treated unfairly. We are talking about today. We are talking about Ms. Tunstalle’s fourth-grade class.”

Editor’s note: This story has been modified to reflect the cluster of southern counties in West Virginia that first went on strike including Wyoming County.

Public Schools in W.Va. Will Make Up Days Missed During Strike

West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Steven Paine told reporters Thursday afternoon that all nine days of the recent teacher and school employee work stoppage would need to be made up by each county school district. However, counties will have control and flexibility on how they do it.

Paine said counties can either eliminate spring break, add additional days to the end of the school year, or use something known as Accrued Instructional Time, which made its way into state law last year.

Accrued Instructional Time allows counties to add 30 minutes of extra time at the end of a school day, but it can only be used to make-up five days. Counties will have to mix-and-match to meet the nine missed days.

“The nine days are nine days, let’s be clear,” Paine noted, “They missed nine. They were paid for nine. They must make up nine days of instruction.”

Paine said it’ll be up to each district how those days are made up and notes the requirement to make up the days has not been a point of contention among teachers and service staff.

He also said any changes to school calendars will not impact graduation dates.

'We Can Get Back to Our Kids, Where We Need to Be' – Teacher Work Stoppage Appears to be Over

Updated on Mar. 6, 2018 at 8:30 p.m.

After nine long days of a teacher and service personnel work stoppage, it looks like it’s come to an end. Lawmakers have agreed to a five percent pay raise for teachers as well as a five percent pay increase for all public workers.

Thousands of teachers and other public employees erupted in cheers and tears as senators opened their chamber doors to announce approval of a bill that increases pay to teachers, school personnel, and state troopers by five percent.

A five percent pay raise for all state employees was also agreed to in a conference committee and will be managed in the upcoming state budgeting process.

Fifth-grade teacher Lori Jarrett from Boone County said she cried when the vote came. When asked how she was feeling, Jarrett said she was, “tired, exhausted, so happy, so happy that we won, and this is finally over, and we can get back to our kids where we need to be.”

Cheers at state capitol Tuesday afternoon.

Lawmakers have said there will be areas and services that will be cut, however, in order to give the promised pay raises.

Emily Tanzey, an eighth grade English teacher from Monongalia County, said that’s something that concerns her. “I am nervous about the funding source, because in the Senate Finance Committee, they mentioned cuts to things like Medicaid, which makes me really anxious, but overall, I think it’s a win for West Virginia.”

Governor Jim Justice signed HB 4145, giving a five percent pay raise to teachers, school service personnel and state troopers shortly after the vote was announced. It will go into effect on July 1, 2018.