On the plus side....With schools closed state wide the threat of a mass killing has been abated!
Public-school teachers in West Virginia went on strike Thursday, shutting schools across the state, as unions rejected pay and benefits proposals by state lawmakers.
The walkouts affected some 270,000 students, according to the latest enrollment figures from the state Education Department. The department had announced school closures for all 55 counties in the state Wednesday night.
A second day of walkouts was planned for Friday. The strike appeared to be the most widespread in the state’s history. In 1990, a teacher walkout shut schools in 47 counties for 11 days.
The state’s two main teachers unions have rejected pay increases proposed by the state legislature. A House bill passed this week would grant the state’s teachers a 2% raise this year and a 1% increase in each of the next two years.
Another sticking point for unions is rising health-care costs at the state Public Employees Insurance Agency. A House bill would freeze premiums and benefits for a year, by diverting $29 million in funding to the statewide public-employee insurance plan.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/west-virginia-teachers-go-on-statewide-strike-1519309185
