Solidarity, Tenacity and Resolve of Striking West Virginia Teachers Leads to Victory
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07 Mar Solidarity, Tenacity and Resolve of Striking West Virginia Teachers Leads to Victory

Posted at 14:38h in Solidarity, Strikes by

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed legislation Tuesday giving all state employees a 5% pay raise, the direct result of the heroic teacher strike that lasted nearly two weeks and highlighted the plight of low pay and rising health care costs in the Mountain State.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten called the strength and resolve of the West Virginia teachers “heroic” proving that working people will not back down from attacks on labor.

โ€œMake no mistake, the attacks on working people arenโ€™t just happening in the classroom or on the job, theyโ€™re happening in the Supreme Court and in the state legislatures around the country. But teachers and support personnel in West Virginia showed that, as corporate and right-wing interests try to thwart our voice even more, we will rise up. If you push us to the brink, we will fight for ourselves, our families and our students. We want to teach. We want to do this job, and we proved it during this strike. This isnโ€™t the end of the battle; teachers are still not paid well enough, and they still donโ€™t have enough resources. But in West Virginia, lawmakers were put on notice that they needed to act in the best interests of kids and workers, not for special interests. And if they didnโ€™t learn that lesson through this strike, workers will make sure they do in November,โ€ said Weingarten.

Following the Governor’s signature and end to the strike, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka commended the resolve of the teachers saying,

“The victory for teachers and public employees in West Virginia is a true testament to their activism and an important reminder of the power of working people to improve the lives of everyone. Whether it is raising pay, providing quality health care our making our jobs safer, all workers know that when we join together and fight together, we will win together. Nothing is more important to our future than the quality of our childrenโ€™s education. Teachers are the backbone of the education system and deserve the resources needed to inspire the next generation. A top-tier education, in West Virginia and across America, requires top-tier talentโ€”and that requires an investment in our teachers. That is why the AFL-CIOโ€™s 12.5 million and the entire labor movement were proud to stand with the brave teachers in West Virginia.”

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