Current Events > So, West Virginia's teacher strike has gone into its 8th day

(+) Yeah! (+)

I wonder how long it's gonna go on for
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"Won't somebody think of the kids?!"
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krazychao5 posted...

"Won't somebody think of the kids?!"

they are thinking of the kids, they're loving the free vacation
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Lord knows that's the last state that needs to have it's teachers striking

alimajor posted...

Lord knows that's the last state that needs to have it's teachers striking

*giggles*
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https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/3/17074824/west-virginia-teachers-strike-justice-union

So according to this:

It's illegal for teachers to strike there.

Also, they talked about doing rolling stikes where only a portion would strike each day but decided against that. Why?
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On a real note this is great, and anyone that has a problem with this is a piece of shit.
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I think the underlying issue that sparked all this was America's joke of a healthcare system
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Trigg3rH4ppy posted...

On a real note this is great, and anyone that has a problem with this is a piece of shit.

it is a beautiful moment in modern american history
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Its easy to come in here and just vote for what people want, but thats not what the general citizens expect of West Virginia" Carmichael told local news outlet WSAZ on Thursday.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Also, they talked about doing rolling stikes where only a portion would strike each day but decided against that. Why?

Says right in there, all or nothing. Puts more pressure on if absolutely every school is closed for multiple days instead of just some.
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Also, they talked about doing rolling stikes where only a portion would strike each day but decided against that. Why?

unless i'm reading it wrong that seems like a bad idea...the schools would just accept that they'd only have to pay them for the time they work, shovel all the students into fewer classrooms and let them strike...the only people hurt in that situation are the students and the teachers. No teachers means the school is completely shut down. more pressure on the schools from parents. no students in class is a bad thing.
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Sativa_Rose posted...

I think the underlying issue that sparked all this was America's joke of a healthcare system

That is a part of it, but they are still getting really shitty pay.
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I am skeptical about the long term future of states like WV.
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Go teachers!
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Wait... so they're striking for a permanent, flat 5% yearly pay increase?

They can fuck right off. I personally think teachers in general are underpaid, but a fixed 5% is asking for too much and completely undermines their case against people who want to see teachers pay tied to performance. For comparison, the average national pay raise is around 3%

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/090415/salary-secrets-what-considered-big-raise.asp
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s0nicfan posted...

Wait... so they're striking for a permanent, flat 5% yearly pay increase?

I doubt they actually expect to get it.

You always ask high in negotiations to start
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Why did I think that they had come to an agreement?
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s0nicfan posted...

Wait... so they're striking for a permanent, flat 5% yearly pay increase?

They can fuck right off. I personally think teachers in general are underpaid, but a fixed 5% is asking for too much and completely undermines their case against people who want to see teachers pay tied to performance. For comparison, the average national pay raise is around 3%

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/090415/salary-secrets-what-considered-big-raise.asp

If we want them to pack heat and pop off at a moments call i'd say 5% is fair...
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Bloodychess posted...

s0nicfan posted...

Wait... so they're striking for a permanent, flat 5% yearly pay increase?

I doubt they actually expect to get it.

You always ask high in negotiations to start

They were already promised it but then the state senate only gave them 4% from what this article says

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/05/us/west-virginia-teachers-strike/index.html

So they already thought they were getting the 5% then they tried to pull a fast one on them. Reminds me of the kind of tactics strippers used to do to get more money from me.
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MuffinzwOrned posted...

krazychao5 posted...

"Won't somebody think of the kids?!"

they are thinking of the kids, they're loving the free vacation

"Free?" They've got to make it up at the end of the year.
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LightHawKnight posted...

Sativa_Rose posted...

I think the underlying issue that sparked all this was America's joke of a healthcare system

That is a part of it, but they are still getting really shitty pay.

Compared to what? The cost of living in West Virginia is $peanuts.
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Useful overview of the teachers' side
https://jacobinmag.com/2018/03/west-virginia-teachers-strike-medicare-for-all

The agreed-upon 5 percent raise for teachers and 3 percent for all public employees was supposed to mark the end of the statewide teachers strike. The state had already seen four days of school closures in all fifty-five counties, the result of a work stoppage involving twenty thousand teachers.

But the teachers werent satisfied with the deal. At the meeting where it was announced, they began to chant, Back to the table! and We are the union bosses! According to the agreement, the teachers were supposed to return to work on Thursday, but by Wednesday night all fifty-five counties were again reporting school closures. The strike was still on.

The primary source of striking teachers dissatisfaction is the states meager offering of a task force to fix the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), West Virginias health insurance program for public employees. Tax cuts have resulted in changes to the insurance plan, sending co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses through the roof as teacher pay remains among the lowest in the country. One projection shows premiums under PEIA rising as much as 11 percent per year starting in 2020.

This has been a huge issue, causing problems for years, said one striking teacher. Theyve been cutting our health insurance over and over, making it really expensive to survive. Throughout the strike teachers held signs that read Will teach for insurance and Id take a bullet for your child but PEIA wont cover it.

According to the strikers, the 5 percent raise offered wont reverse the damage that rising health care costs have done to West Virginia public employees ability to make ends meet. Explaining why she chose to remain on strike, one teacher said, The number one thing was we needed a permanent fix to PEIA. It wasnt about the money at all. It was about the insurance fix.

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r4X0r posted...

MuffinzwOrned posted...

krazychao5 posted...

"Won't somebody think of the kids?!"

they are thinking of the kids, they're loving the free vacation

"Free?" They've got to make it up at the end of the year.

yeah but kids don't think that far ahead
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krazychao5 posted...

"Won't somebody think of the kids?!"

They care a lot about the kids, actually. They gave out bags of food for them before they went on strike.
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So apparently they struck a deal to get the full 5% but it sounds like they're not getting any healthcare changes. Also they state is cutting resources elsewhere to pay for it so the change is budget-neutral but I can't find what was cut.
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s0nicfan posted...

So apparently they struck a deal to get the full 5% but it sounds like they're not getting any healthcare changes. Also they state is cutting resources elsewhere to pay for it so the change is budget-neutral but I can't find what was cut.

Heard it was Medicaid for children...
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