Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The Latest on a teachers strike in West Virginia (all times local):
7:35 p.m.
Unions for West Virginia teachers say they're ending their two-day strike after lawmakers did not act on a doomed, broad-based education bill.
Leaders of three unions representing teachers and school service personnel called an end to the strike Wednesday night. They say classrooms would reopen statewide on Thursday.
But the leaders say they reserve the right to call teachers back out on strike before the end of the legislative session in early March to take action as they see fit on other education bills.
The House of Delegates made no mention of Tuesday's passage of a motion that effectively killed the bill.
According to legislative rules, a lawmaker who voted to table the bill had until Wednesday to ask to have the vote reconsidered. The House adjourned until Thursday without such a move being made.
___
7:15 p.m.
West Virginia lawmakers have left a doomed, broad-based education bill on the shelf, handing a victory to teachers who went on strike to stop it.
Teachers packed the gallery in the House of Delegates chambers and in the hallways outside Wednesday night as the House made no mention of Tuesday's passage of a motion that tabled the bill.
According to legislative rules, a lawmaker who voted to table the bill had until Wednesday to ask to have the vote reconsidered. No such move was made.
That could mean an end to the two-day strike. Unions for teachers and school service workers were set to discuss the move after the evening session.
Portions of the bill also could still be offered through amendments to other legislation in the final two weeks of the session.
___
2:20 p.m.
Striking West Virginia teachers have descended on the state Capitol for a second day as they watch lawmakers' potential movements on an education bill that had been tabled a day before.
Union members on Wednesday waited out a deadline for the House of Delegates to use a potential technical maneuver to reconsider a decision Tuesday that effectively killed the complex legislation.
According to legislative rules, any lawmaker who voted to table the bill had until Wednesday to ask to have the vote reconsidered. The House made no such action during its morning session and was set to meet again Wednesday night.
Portions of the bill also could still be offered through amendments to other legislation in the final two weeks of the session.
___
8:30 a.m.
West Virginia public school teachers are striking for a second day even though legislation they loathed was tabled in the House of Delegates.
Schools in 54 of the state's 55 counties were closed Wednesday. The lone holdout again was Putnam County.
Leaders of three unions covering teachers and school service workers say they have trust issues with lawmakers and believe there's a small chance there still could be further developments with the complex legislation.
One day after the House effectively killed the bill, other legislation is getting attention. This proposal set to be discussed in a House committee Wednesday would boost the pay of teachers, school service workers, and state police by 5 percent.
Last year, teachers and service workers won a 5 percent raise following a nine-day strike.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
