The American Prospect - West Virginia’s teachers won a 5 percent pay raise for all state employees. But it was the legislature’s corporate tax cuts that underfunded the teachers in the first place—and it may slash public services to pay for the raise. Read.
WVCBP in the News
Charleston Gazette-Mail - A state Senate committee sent a bill to the floor Thursday that would impose work requirements on certain able-bodied adults without dependents in order to qualify for benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which includes food stamp benefits. Read.
New Republic - West Virginia teachers have a deal. On Tuesday, a compromise reached by a conference committee composed of Democratic and Republican members of the state House and Senate raised public worker pay by 5 percent. Read.
Vox - Thousands of teachers in Arizona showed up to school Wednesday wearing red. In Oklahoma, teachers prepared a list of demands for the governor. Educators in both states are energized from watching the success of the nine-day teachers strike in West Virginia. They say they're prepared to do the same. Read.
Rewire.News - Tax cuts for oil and gas giants have starved state coffers as teacher pay in West Virginia has stagnated. Senate President Mitch Carmichael has opposed any oil and gas tax increases that could be used to pay teachers decent wages. Read.
CNN - West Virginia schools closed for nine days as the state's teachers went on strike for higher wages and better benefits. Read.
West Virginia Public News Service - Striking teachers are angry about rising health care premiums and eroding benefits from West Virginia's Public Employee Insurance Agency. But what would a real PEIA fix look like? Read.
Grist.org - The 48th lowest-earning teachers in the country are eight days into a strike that demands a 5 percent pay raise. They’re frustrated by rising health care costs and, y’know, working at Hardee’s on the weekends to make ends meet. Read.
Nottingham Observer - All 55 Counties in West Virginia have canceled school due to the teacher work stoppage. Read.
The New Republic - On Thursday, the public school teachers of West Virginia staged a wildcat strike. Without authorization from either of the state’s two education unions—the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association—teachers walked out to register their dissatisfaction with the government’s response to their grievances. Read.