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West Virginia: 15,000 Teachers Strike over Low Pay, Healthcare Costs

HeadlineFeb 22, 2018

In West Virginia, schools are closed today, after some 15,000 public school teachers launched a two-day strike in order to protest for better healthcare and pay. Teachers haven’t seen an across-the-board pay raise since 2014, even as healthcare costs have risen sharply—leaving many teachers with dwindling take-home pay. West Virginia is a so-called right-to-work state where strikes by public employees are prohibited. Asked by reporters about the legality of today’s action, West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee said, “What are they going to do, fire 15,000 people?”

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