By ANDREA LANNOM
The Register-Herald
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Advocacy groups representing teachers and public employees expressed concerns with pay and benefits Wednesday, saying they don’t believe a 1 percent pay raise would be enough to keep up with increasing costs under PEIA.
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)-West Virginia, West Virginia Education Association, UMWA, CWA and the AFL-CIO held a press conference at the Culture Center to voice these concerns. Advocates said they felt pay for public employees and teachers is too low, especially when taking PEIA benefits into account.
“There’s a lot of unrest among public employees out there,” AFL-CIO president Josh Sword said. “There is anger. Frustration.”
“Public employees have expressed their desire to strike,” AFT-West Virginia President Christine Campbell said. “We will decide that together. This is not something any of us take lightly. First, we are going to call on legislators to do the right thing. We will say it in our hometowns, at the Capitol, say it in our schools and districts. Your personal stories are making a difference. …We are prepared to take additional steps. We don’t want to strike. Nobody does. I hope it won’t come to that but if it does, we will stand in unity with our brothers and sisters.”
Read the entire article: http://www.register-herald.com/news/advocacy-groups-express-concern-over-teacher-public-employees-pay-peia/article_ea409927-fd04-55ef-9285-e8f64092a500.html
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