CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Teachers and school service personnel around West Virginia are preparing for the state’s two unions formally to merge and move forward as Education West Virginia.
The merger of the West Virginia Education Association and American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia takes effect on September 1 after being announced in March. Union members are being granted a long-held wish, according to AFT-WV president Kristie Skidmore.
“We’ve had members tell us for a long time it’s time to do this. They realize our strength together, and they realize that the distraction of competing with each other is off the table now, and we can focus on what we need to do to make their lives better,” she said.
Skidmore will serve as co-president of the new organization, alongside WVEA president Dale Lee. Those two are making sure school employees are in the know about the change.
“Kristie and I have been going around the state, talking at the new teacher orientation and opening schools events, promoting the new organization and the strength that we will have in being one organization,” Lee said.
Skidmore feels the members they’ve talked to are ready for the merger.
“It’s been really exciting and energizing, very motivational to hear from our members and how excited they are about it,” she said.
Following the formal merger, a transition period is expected, but that doesn’t mean leadership doesn’t have its eyes on the issues. The focus is on issues teachers and service personnel are facing right now, including student mental health.
“We need to address the mental and emotional state of our students. We’ve taken some steps toward discipline in classrooms, but we really need to address the mental and emotional condition and what’s causing these students to act out,” Lee said.
Another top-of-the-list issue will have to be addressed sooner rather than later. Changes to state employee health benefits could be on the table as early as the next month with the possibility of a special session to coincide with legislative interims beginning on September 7, less than a week after Education West Virginia officially arrives.
“PEIA is a looming question, and we will be listening to our members and working with the legislature to try to come up with a long-term plan to stabilize the health insurance,” Lee said.
The transition isn’t going to be entirely focused on the issues or the business aspects of the merger, though. Emphasis is placed on developing a culture within the new union that fits what its members want.
“We’ll also be working to create the culture of Education West Virginia, and as I said, we have this transition period where we will work on what does that culture look like and we’ll listen to our members as we go along the way, of course,” Skidmore said.
Lee and Skidmore will serve as co-presidents of Education West Virginia until the organization’s first convention, which is scheduled for spring 2027.