The West Virginia teacher’s strike may soon be one for the history books.
Gov. Jim Justice announced Tuesday morning that a deal has been reached between the House and Senate to deliver a 5 percent pay raise to all state employees — not just teachers — on the ninth day of a strike that shut schools across all 55 counties in the state.
“All the focus should have always been on fairness and getting the kids back in school,” Justice said in a statement.
We have reached a deal. I stood rock solid on the 5% Teacher pay raise and delivered. Not only this, but my staff and I made additional cuts which will give all State employees 5% as well. All the focus should have always been on fairness and getting the kids back in school.
— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) March 6, 2018
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State legislators are hoping that the teachers unions will accept the deal in time to “get the buses running” for classes on Wednesday, said House Delegate Brent Boggs, a Democrat. The teachers unions did not immediately respond to the deal Tuesday morning, but had been pushing for a 5 percent raise.
Related: West Virginia teacher strike enters second week with no end in sight
A quarter of a million students across the state have been out of schools since Feb. 22. That’s when 20,000 public school teachers hit the picket line, demanding better pay. The average salary for West Virginia teachers in 2016 ranked as the 48th lowest in the nation, according to the National Education Association.
“We are fed up. Enough is enough,” Jamie Heflin, 38, a single mother who teaches at Lenore K-8 School in Williamson, told NBC News last week. “We’re tired of the disrespect.”
The work stoppage has inspired teachers facing low pay in other states to consider their options. On Thursday, the Oklahoma Education Association teachers union has announced it will unveil a plan for a potential strike.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.