West Virginia lawmakers reached a deal on Tuesday, March 6, that would end a nine-day teachers strike. The deal would give the state’s public employees a 5 percent increase, according to Gov. Jim Justice.
Teachers gathered at the state capitol throughout the strike cheered when the deal was announced to them. Delegate Brent Boggs, a Democrat, announced via a bullhorn the details and the process to finish the deal, saying the legislation should reach the governor’s desk for his signature by the end of the day.
In this video, teachers inside the West Virginia State Capitol are heard chanting: “Who made history? We made history.”
Teachers union leaders told local news that if the legislation was signed by the governor by the end of the day, teachers would return to work on Wednesday.
Republican lawmakers, though, said the pay increase comes with budget cuts, including a $20 million reduction to general services and Medicaid, the news report said. Credit: Whitney Reger Moran via Storyful
