The West Virginia state Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that states that strikes by teachers and other public officials are illegal.
In a 21-12 vote, the Senate approved a demand which says “Public officials in West Virginia have no right, statutory or otherwise, to engage in collective bargaining, mediation or arbitration, and any strike or strike by public officials is declared illegal.”
The bill comes after teachers in West Virginia went on strike for nine days in 2018 and again for two days in 2019.
The bill says teachers who participate in a strike must be dismissed and, if they are not, the county board of education must withhold the teacher’s payment for how many days they participated in the strike.
Schools also cannot close before strikes. If they do, extracurricular activities must also be canceled during the day.
“This bill simply clarifies that it was not the intention of the Legislature to facilitate the illegal stoppage of works. This is not a retaliatory bill. It is about ensuring that our children, our most precious resource, continue to be our priority ”, Republican Senate Education President Patricia Rucker said.
Some Democrats in the state Senate criticized the bill.
“This project does nothing to move West Virginia forward. It does nothing to promote this profession. It’s kind of witty. I think it is retaliation for people who defend what they believe in, ”said state senator Mike Caputo (D).
There is an identical bill in the Chamber of Delegates that has not yet been approved. The bill must be approved by the Chamber and signed by the governor to become law.