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Teachers Union Power- From WV & Beyond/ Mountain Mama - WV Thread


88Comrade2000

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At this point I truly want to believe this is a movement that will shed light on the dirty politics of this state.  I wish to godnthe national spotlight would’ve been shining on our Senate Saturday night.  

Even had a Steve Harvey moment 

 

https://www.fox5sandiego.com/2018/03/03/west-virginia-senate-accidentally-approves-raise-for-striking-teachers/amp/

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1 minute ago, PleaseBlitz said:

All the more reason to invest in education.  

Where is the money for education coming from? Most of the people that don't have state, county, or mining jobs are living paycheck to paycheck (generalities here, I know there are areas that are making money - Charleston, Wheeling, panhandle). All of my family that lives in Fayette County that are not retired are literally dirt poor. You can't raise taxes on them.

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Just now, Popeman38 said:

Where is the money for education coming from? Most of the people that don't have state, county, or mining jobs are living paycheck to paycheck (generalities here, I know there are areas that are making money - Charleston, Wheeling, panhandle). All of my family that lives in Fayette County that are not retired are literally dirt poor. You can't raise taxes on them.

 

The out of state oil and gas companies that are turning the state into an environmental wasteland.

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1 minute ago, Lombardi's_kid_brother said:

 

The out of state oil and gas companies that are turning the state into an environmental wasteland.

 

...and maybe the companies that had their tax rates reduced at the federal level could kick in...

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5 minutes ago, PleaseBlitz said:

 

So what do you think is going to happen?

I’m not sure. But this committee has 3 days.  If it doesn’t happen by the the legislative session ends and we get to pay these guys extra for special sessions.  And they break in between so this could be a while. 

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10 minutes ago, Popeman38 said:

Where is the money for education coming from? Most of the people that don't have state, county, or mining jobs are living paycheck to paycheck (generalities here, I know there are areas that are making money - Charleston, Wheeling, panhandle). All of my family that lives in Fayette County that are not retired are literally dirt poor. You can't raise taxes on them.

 

If only the WV majority led GOP (and frankly, even the Democrats in WV are GOP) hadn't created a $425+ million a year hole in the budget by reducing various business taxes...

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Just now, Popeman38 said:

Where is the money for education coming from? Most of the people that don't have state, county, or mining jobs are living paycheck to paycheck (generalities here, I know there are areas that are making money - Charleston, Wheeling, panhandle). All of my family that lives in Fayette County that are not retired are literally dirt poor. You can't raise taxes on them.

 

Corporate mining interests?  Cutting the budget in other areas?  Not really sure, but educating your populations kid's is in the top 2 or 3 things any government should do.  

 

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4 minutes ago, Major Harris said:

I’m not sure. But this committee has 3 days.  If it doesn’t happen by the the legislative session ends and we get to pay these guys extra for special sessions.  And they break in between so this could be a while. 

 

Carmichael wants to break you. This is not about a raise or insurance any longer.

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6 minutes ago, Major Harris said:

I’m not sure. But this committee has 3 days.  If it doesn’t happen by the the legislative session ends and we get to pay these guys extra for special sessions.  And they break in between so this could be a while. 

 

Well if you run out of beer, I can send an emergency provisions cache.  :cheers:

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14 minutes ago, PleaseBlitz said:

 

Corporate mining interests?  Cutting the budget in other areas?  Not really sure, but educating your populations kid's is in the top 2 or 3 things any government should do.  

 

 

The state has been in a tax cutting frenzy for ten years and has gained nothing for it.

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-tax-cuts-led-to-west-virginias-massive-teacher-strike_us_5a99bde9e4b0a0ba4ad3513b

 

The aforementioned Senator Ojeda has proposed a severance tax on gas companies as the source for PEIA funding.

 

Honestly, if they had solved the PEIA issue originally, I think teachers would have accepted a nominal raise and gone on with their lives. Insurance started this, and now the lies and bad faith on the raise have locked everyone into their trenches.

 

 

10 minutes ago, Major Harris said:

You are spot on

 

Of course, I'm spot on. I'm right about everything. (How ya doin', ol' buddy).

 

If Carmichael, Ferns, and Blair every hold elective office in the state again, you have failed in this strike. Those three are completely responsible for where you are. Did you notice who the one "no" vote in the House of Delegates was? Blair's idiot daughter who somehow got elected at age Seven-freakin'-teen.

 

By the way, Senator Ojeda speaks the way my fantasy version of Zoony speaks. He also sports the same haircut.

 

That dude is going to left-wing populist himself into the governor's mansion before this ends.

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Lombardi's_kid_brother said:

 

The state has been in a tax cutting frenzy for ten years and has gained nothing for it.

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-tax-cuts-led-to-west-virginias-massive-teacher-strike_us_5a99bde9e4b0a0ba4ad3513b

 

The aforementioned Senator Ojeda has proposed a severance tax on gas companies as the source for PEIA funding.

 

Honestly, if they had solved the PEIA issue originally, I think teachers would have accepted a nominal raise and gone on with their lives. Insurance started this, and now the lies and bad faith on the raise have locked everyone into their trenches.

 

 

 

If Carmichael, Ferns, and Blair every hold elective office in the state again, you have failed in this strike. Those three are completely responsible for where you are.

 

 

I actually am considering challenging Blair to a public duel. 

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6 minutes ago, Major Harris said:

I actually am considering challenging Blair to a public duel. 

 

Muzzleloaders at 100 feet? 

 

Edit..glad my pops retired when he did (he didn't need this extra stress - even if he had a Navy pension to fall back on). Feel bad for my cousin who's an English teacher in JeffCo. Not sure how he makes a living on what they pay.

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2 minutes ago, Major Harris said:

I actually am considering challenging Blair to a public duel. 

 

He is a remarkable example of a small-time politician with delusions of grandeur. All these guys think they are going to end up in Trump's cabinet by cracking the heads of Mrs. Crabtree and the rest of the first grade teachers.

 

I'm hoping against hope that this has destroyed the notion that the Republican Party in WV is some kind of grassroots organization. These guys are whores for the gas companies and that's it. And they have dressed it up in social conservatism.

 

During all this madness, they managed to take away property rights in order to benefit the gas companies AND discuss an abortion bill. Because, priorities, people.

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4 minutes ago, Major Harris said:

One more thing, I have seen the average teacher salary in WV anywhere from 45-49k. I am in my 17th year.  If it were not for an excess levy passed by my county voters I would not make over 45k. Some counties don’t have levies.  17 years is 41k.  

 

In the northern panhandle, I'm pretty sure the levies no longer supplement pay because they need to spend the money on facilities. I'll have to check with my dad on that.

 

I don't think people really understand how antiquated the salary structure is. The day you were hired, you signed a contract. That's the last time you had any say in your pay. Everything is based on a scale created in Charleston and there is no collective bargaining. Basically, legislators in Logan and McDowell counties control your pay despite the fact you are in the one part of the state that is actually on solid economic ground.

 

And I'm pretty certain that you have to give one year's notice to move or they can suspend your teacher's license (though that can be waived).

 

The hiring process is set up in Charleston too. And it's state law, not local regulations. So, if you are hired as the high school basketball coach, the other five guys that did not get hired file grievances stating that the law was interpreted incorrectly by the board. And all five of those cases end up in court on a path to the Supreme Court. I'm not aware of any other system like this.

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25 minutes ago, Major Harris said:

One more thing, I have seen the average teacher salary in WV anywhere from 45-49k. I am in my 17th year.  If it were not for an excess levy passed by my county voters I would not make over 45k. Some counties don’t have levies.  17 years is 41k.  

 

For comparison, Loudoun County. Quite a number of WV teachers commute. 17 years with a Bachelors is $67,911

 

 

5 hours ago, Lombardi's_kid_brother said:

 

No, I was actually knighted with a sword by the Secretary of Education in 1987.

 

Did you have to close your eyes? And did he tell you it was a sword while your eyes were closed?

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1 hour ago, Corcaigh said:

 

For comparison, Loudoun County. Quite a number of WV teachers commute. 17 years with a Bachelors is $67,911

 

 

Yep.  I coach two sports and I am an athletic director at a middle school.  All of that supplements my salary and I still could drive one county over, only teach, and get a 10k+ raise, better benefits and better retirement.  I’m one of the few that actually said no to Loudoun County. I love teaching where I live but it’s hard.  

 

Average home price in Jefferson County is around 250k.  Some counties in WV are under 60 or 70k I would bet.  Not looking it up because I have to go pack my bags and get to Charleston. 

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20 hours ago, Popeman38 said:

Everything I can find says the average teacher salary in WV is $45k.  They are demanding a 5% raise, and better benefits.  I support that. I don't support walking out over it when the median wage in WV is just over $39k. WV is a low income are (outside Charleston, Wheeling, Morgantown, and the pan handle). Yes, it is a low wage compared the national average, but compared to what others are making in the state?

 

Honest question....do you think teachers walk around with a strike in their back pocket ready to use in an instant?

 

This is years in the making.  We send some representatives to legislative sessions every year.  We call. We email.  We even staged statewide “walk ins” and demonstrations.  These guys didn’t listen. They knew this was coming and quite frankly seem to revel in it. 

 

And to anyone worrying about kids eating or parents finding childcare, we have literally dozens of teachers on a daily basis leaving the picket lines  delivering food and assisting with agencies providing child care.  We are supporting the community that supports us. 

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To echo @Major Harris's point about child care and lunches, here is the update from the GoFundMe page:

 

Quote

Our Strike Support Fund Committee just finished a four-hour work session! We have now reviewed 242 applications and approved over $100,000 in grants - for child care costs, food programs, medical emergencies, lost pay for substitute teachers and aides, utility bills, and strike organizing costs. 170 checks will be mailed out tomorrow! 
 

 

So far people have donated almost $275,000. 

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