CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice’s pay raise bill for state workers now includes language that says it will be a multi-year raise for teachers and all other state workers.
The bill (SB 267) passed the Senate Finance Committee on a voice vote Thursday afternoon. The committee voted on a bill that was different from the original language that called for a one-year one percent raise for teachers, service personnel, state troopers and all other state workers.
Justice administration Policy Counsel James Bailey told committee members the governor wanted the bill to reflect his initial plans of a five-year raise for teachers and a two-year increase for everyone else. Bailey said the change mirrors what the governor said in his State of the State Address.
“This raise is built into the six-year (budget) plan,” Bailey said. “As far as we’re concerned that was always what was in front and I think due to some miscommunication or misunderstanding publicly that the governor was only proposing one percent. But from day one of the State of the State it was a five percent raise (over five years),” Bailey said.
Teachers have been meeting in various counties across the state expressing their frustration with a one percent increase along with the planned cost increases for health insurance coverage. Some have talked about a work stoppage. Senator Corey Palumbo (D-Kanawha) wasn’t sure how much the language update would change things.
The @wvsenate finance committee has passed my bill that codifies into law a 5% pay raise for classroom teachers spread over 5 years.
— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) January 25, 2018
“I think that when the governor talked about five percent (in the State of the State Address) and the bill was just one percent for one year–that’s not helping the situation. So I think that this may not help the situation very much by going back to say what he said in his speech but it’s certainly not going to hurt,” Palumbo said.
The bill would just codify those plans which will be a legislative decision, Bailey said.
“Whether that’s codified or not codified is up for debate but now our proposal is to go ahead and bind us in our budget in the actual code to follow through with that five percent,” Bailey said.
Teacher pay raises would cost more than $9 million a year. It would be around $450 per teacher per year. That combined with the annual step raise would give teachers about $1,000 more a year.
The bill spells out service personnel raises by the month. Those workers would receive $22 more a month for two years.
The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
A separate bill being considered spells out a multi-year raise for correction officers. They will get a 2,000 raise per year for three years along with the creation of a salary schedule that would reward seniority.