Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 19, 1990 TAG: 9003222456
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A/2 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHARLESTON, W.VA. LENGTH: Medium
"We've made our point. We won a lot of respect, unity and strength through this," said Jackie Goodwin, a spokeswoman for the 16,000-member West Virginia Education Association, the main teachers union in the state.
"The teachers have shown they mean business," Goodwin said.
Unions in at least 41 of the state's 55 counties voted by large majorities Sunday to accept a back-to-school agreement reached by union leaders and state legislative leaders on Saturday.
Goodwin predicted "most, if not all" of the striking teachers would return to work today.
Teachers in two counties, Jackson and Greenbrier, voted to return before the settlement was announced.
Marion County teachers voted to "suspend" rather than settle their strike, pending the outcome of a special session promised by legislative leaders.
"If the Legislature doesn't come through with what we want, we're back out," said Kathy Jacquez, president of the Marion County Education Association.
In the state's other 11 counties, teachers never went on strike or results were not available by early today.
Teachers, upset over the state's refusal to grant pay raises, walked out March 7. By Wednesday, strike activity had spread to all but a handful of the state's 55 counties.
On Saturday, legislative leaders promised leaders of the state's two teachers unions they would ask Gov. Gaston Caperton to call a special session to address long-term education needs.
The settlement does not specifically address salaries - which, averaging $21,904 in 1988-89, were ranked nearly last among the 50 states - but calls for lawmakers and union leaders to work out a plan for improved pay and benefits.
"That's all we ever wanted, an education summit to get something done so we don't have to keep going to Charleston banging our heads against the House and Senate doors," said Joseph Suriano, president of the Ohio County Education Association.
"I think we've done a heck of a job," said Marie Hamrick, president of the Raleigh County Education Association.
by CNB