Educators, service workers announce plan in Charleston
By JOSELYN KING
WHEELING — West Virginia’s public school teachers and service employees joined forces Saturday in Charleston to announce a state-wide strike for Thursday and Friday, and the work stoppages may not stop at just two days unless lawmakers address their calls for lower health care premiums and higher wages, said a local union official.
An estimated crowd of between 10,000 to 15,000 people gathered outside the State Capitol Saturday — many of them members of the West Virginia Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers and the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association.
They came to Charleston to protest what they see as a failure by the Legislature to halt their rising Public Employees Insurance Agency premiums, which have now been frozen for the next 17 months by the PEIA board. They are also unhappy with legislation giving teachers as much a 2-percent hike in 2019, and 1-percent raises each of the following three years. The service employees and members of the State Police would get a 2-percent raise the first year, and 1 percent the second year. …
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