Soaring healthcare costs drove West Virginia teachers to go on their (possibly illegal) strike

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Sat Mar 3, 2018, 04:04 PM - Edit history (3)

Retweeted by David Fahrenthold: https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

Why are all of West Virginia's teachers on strike? Because their health insurance premiums are driving them into poverty. https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-west-virginia-strike-20180302-story.html …

Link to tweet

Soaring healthcare costs drove West Virginia teachers to go on their (possibly illegal) statewide strike

By Matt Pearce
Mar 02, 2018 |

....
For seven straight school days, a massive teachers strike has gripped every county in West Virginia, with teachers setting up picket lines on public roads and thronging the capitol to holler at state lawmakers. ... And with lawmakers unable to reach a deal on a compensation package Friday, the strike is likely to extend into next week, raising the stakes on all sides to resolve an unpredictable work stoppage that leaves thousands of children at home each day.

"I call it the 'West Virginia Spring.' Spring is here in West Virginia," said Democratic state Sen. John Unger, comparing the protests to the Arab Spring protests of 2011. "This is truly a citizens' movement," not led by lawmakers or labor leaders, Unger added. "We're not leading it. What we're doing is we're going along with it."

The teachers, as public employees, technically have no right to strike in West Virginia, according to state Supreme Court precedent, and the state's attorney general has called the walkouts "unlawful." ... But the educators said they have been driven to the brink by low pay that has left many educators seeking second jobs or other careers, or other states, entirely.

In West Virginia, teachers and other state employees receive health coverage through the Public Employees Insurance Agency. ... The state program is funded 80% by employers and 20% by employees. That means as healthcare costs continue to rise significantly, the program's long-term solvency requires "significant revenue increases in employer and employee premiums" over the next five years, according to an October 2017 financial report prepared for PEIA.
In other words, employees are going to need to pay up.

[Ohiogal]

1. It is a travesty

what teachers are paid in many states in the U.S.

Another article I read featured a high school English teacher in W.Va. who had been teaching for ten years and only cleared $1300 every two weeks. And, as above, their health care premiums were about to be raised $300 a month! It's absurd!

[area51]

2. Kick for the day crew. n/t

[Squinch]

3. They are in a medicare expansion state. Wonder how these teachers would have

done on the Obamacare exchanges for the same coverage.

But most of them voted for the republican president, so I'm guessing they didn't want to do that.

[appalachiablue]

4. Along with the steady increase in health care costs eating into income

the beginning teacher pay in WVa. is just $32,435 and the average salary $44,701.

As of 2016 WV ranked 48th in average teacher salaries with only Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Dakota below it.

In contrast, public school teachers in the states surrounding WVa. make $5-20K more per year.

WVa. teachers and public school employees haven't had a raise in years. It's outrageous there and under attack all over.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210277604