| 3-4-2918 It reads like a comedy of errors.
A state education union leader said Sunday that union leaders are "exploring all avenues" â which could include legal action â after the state Senate mistakenly passed the wrong public employee pay raise bill Saturday.
Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, said during a forum at Ripley High School Sunday that while he "can't go into it, [union leaders] are exploring all avenues that [they] have in this."
3-3-2018 - The WV Senate passed a bill Saturday giving WV teachers, personnel and State Police a 4% raise, reducing it by 1% proposed by Gov. Jim Justice.
Union organizers said Saturday there is no end in sight with the strike.
3-3-2018 -As several thousand teachers and supporters crowded the WV Capitol Friday, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice spoke with school superintendents, saying it's crucial for the Senate to pass the 5 percent pay raise bill for state teachers and service personnel.
"You need to stay united together," Justice said. "A no vote has colossal repercussions. A yes vote is a solid win."
The governor said education is the state's top investment, adding that he's concerned the Senate Finance Committee will continue to stall on the pay raise bill.
Friday marked the Day 7 of the statewide teacher strike.
"If they don't do it tomorrow (Saturday), we spiral off into no man's land," Justice said. "It's a 99 percent chance we're going to spiral into no man's land or it will happen tomorrow."
"We got to get it through the Senate," Justice said. "I'm on it with everything I've got and then some."
The governor advised school superintendents to stay in Charleston overnight to monitor the situation in the Senate.
Earlier on Friday, a Senate Finance Committee meeting to discuss the teacher and state service personnel pay raise bill was canceled and rescheduled until Saturday. | 
