WV Senate, House at odds over pay raise bill; teacher strike to continue

Union leaders said Saturday the statewide teacher and school service personnel work stoppage will continue indefinitely, after the state Senate and House of Delegates couldn’t agree how large of a pay raise to give teachers and school workers.

On Saturday evening, the Senate Finance Committee took up a pay raise bill passed by the House, and reduced the pay increase for teachers, school service workers and State Police troopers from 5 percent to 4 percent.

But the Senate then, mistakenly, passed the House version of the bill with the 5 percent raise, rather than the 4 percent version. After Senate leaders announced the mistake, senators walked back their passage vote and certain procedural votes, and passed the bill with a 4 percent raise after 9:30 p.m. Saturday.