Stories from the West Virginia Teacher Strike

I have been active in the labour movement for almost a decade and this event was one of the most inspiring and moving things I have ever experienced. First off, the room was packed right away, fire code be damned! I'm sure there were 400+ people there in every nook and cranny possible to hear from frontline teachers who organized a wildcat strike to fight back against West Virginia state's austerity budget. Even before they begin there is a huge standing ovation and the loudest cheers I've ever heard at a union event.

Here's the context:

• Union apathy due to fear of retaliation, weak labour laws and disconnection from the "unions" and their members (teachers are represented by the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association)
• striking is illegal for public sector workers in WV
• Teachers in WV are the second lowest paid in the USA and hadn't seen a raise in 20 years
• 700+ vacancies in the state - filled by non-certified teachers
• Facing significant changes to the health insurance (more on that later)

The panel was made up of 6 teacher reps from 4 counties - Kanawah, Mercer, Monongalia and Mingo.  Each of them not super involved in the union until now.  For years, teachers have been underpaid - in fact, they are the second lowest in the country and what kept attracting people to the profession was that their health insurance was decent. Well that was until the unelected state appointed board of directors of the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) messed with their health insurance in a big bad way. They started to require that all members of the plan go for annual check ups and had to meet a number of health targets. If they didn't, they would have to pay a $500 penalty on top of their deductible. Not only were they raising premium they also required each plan member to enrol in GO365 where they would have to wear a FitBit. They would be required to report their physical activity including their daily steps as well as very private and personal information like frequency of sexual activity and the rigorousness of it. WTF. If people were meeting the standards set by Go 365, they would be rewarded in gift cards and such.

They also looked at changing the amount of money paid in proportion to household income. Whereas before it was based on the income of the teacher, now they were basing it on any income generated in the house - spouses and children! This was going to double or triple their premiums. People were enraged.

So they created a secret Facebook group where people were posting all the weird correspondance and information. This built solidairty amongst at least 20,000 members. That's when they turned their anger into action!

They mapped out their memberships (remember they were represented by more than one union) and tried to ensure at least one organizer at each school with the end goal of everyone going to the state legislature to demand changes from government.

As they organized they would talk to members, other school staff and started an email campaign to email county officials, senators, congresspeople - the posted links to all of that contact information. 

They organized "sick outs" and "flu outs," and "Fed up Friday."

Things really couldn't get any worse - shit wages, shit insurance, feeling devalued...so they started to talk strike action (in a state where it's illegal to strike). 

It was also the first time all of the unions were on the same page instead of competing for members. They agreed to back each other. They had joint meetings for the first time to organize and strategize for work stoppage (they were conscious to not use the word "strike).    Some of the tactics they used were:

• wearing red on Fridays
• walk ins - where teachers and staff would do information pickets at their schools to parents as they dropped their kids off and then they would all walk in together
• rolling walk outs - people getting to Charleston was going to be difficult. Gas is expensive so they would go out 5 counties at a time mostly to avoid burning everyone out but also to avoid an injunction.
• communicating with their principals and superintendents because they wanted to stand with their teachers
• making meetings public

West Virginia is not a wealthy state. Many children and families rely on the school system as a place where kids can at least get 2 healthy meals a day. The teachers reached out to food banks, churches, universities and other community groups to ensure if they're going to walk out that parents and families had the resources to get food - to show the community they really cared about their kids no matter how hard the other side tried to vilify them. 

They wildcatted. Each of the 55 counties walked out and made it to the capitol chanting " Not 1-2-3-4 but 55 are at your door!" As they are telling this part of the story the crowd is visibly moved and I will admit to wiping away a few tears. Divide and conquer didn't work. They had the community on their side - the rest of the labour movement backed them and they made a concerted effort to ensure everyone was protected. That meant reaching out to people in credit unions to guarantee lines of credit or to make sure that if mortgage payments needed extensions, that they got them. 

In the end, they sorta won - not all of their demands but they fought back and achieved a 5% raise and a task force to look into PEIA (there are rumours of privatizing their insurance). 

Their unions are more organized and united. They build solidarity by democratizing information in that secret facebook group - the union couldn't hold onto information the members owned. They had to weaponize it and share it rapidly so everyone knew what was going on. 

We ended the session with the question "what kind of union would you like to have moving forward?" (their words)

• Open, democratic, one that mobilizes and works for their members
• one that will stand against both the state and the county. Members to be more involved in the everyday decision making processes as well as electoral politics
• my union not just a lobbying group but a site of real organizing. Lead a strategic escalated campaign to achieve something
• continue to be grass roots - I loved it. There was no point in time I felt we were all on the same page but everyone was talking at each school and did what they wanted to to and posted about it.
• work on an inclusive caucus. At the local level people have to take ownership in our organization - to bring their hope and skills to engage and to ensure there is space to thrive in their union. 
• ensure we back progressive candidates in electoral politics. To practice "an injury to one is an injury to all!"

Another standing ovation. I don't think I will ever forget those 2 hours in that room and I am so grateful to have shared that time with those activists.