If you haven’t heard, teachers (and other public employees) in the state of West Virginia are in the midst of a strike over their most recent wage increase.
In West Virginia, teachers are paid the 48th-lowest in the country — and as they face skyrocketing insurance rates under President Stable Genius their wages aren’t exactly keeping up with the increased costs thanks to stingy WV lawmakers.
“It comes down to we want a fair and steady wage and would like to be out [of] the bottom in teacher pay compared to the rest of the US,” Robert May, a teacher at Chapmanville Middle School, told 50 States of Blue Monday. “Even the raise isn’t as much an issue as the constant changes to our insurance.”
One of the “changes” is a projected $7,000 per year increase in costs — something the teachers’ 2% raise this year and 1% for the next two years won’t even touch.
But not to worry! Republican West Virginia governor and Trump ass-kisser Jim Justice met with striking teachers in Wheeling, West Virginia Monday and vowed that he would stand by the state’s educators as they fought for reasonably fair wages…is what happened in an alternate universe in which Jim Justice isn’t such a massive fucking douchecanoe.
Plenty of teachers, service personnel and others here waiting to hear from @WVGovernor @wchs8fox11 @WTOV9 pic.twitter.com/y06o5DToZ1
— Crissy Clutter (@CrissyWTOV9) February 26, 2018
Justice for some reason decided it would be a good idea to kick off his town hall by joking about another issue that deeply bothers teachers — a recent school incident in which one of his fellow Trump supporters murdered 17 people in a Florida school.
“Nobody’s going to shoot at me or anything, are you?” Justice “joked” in response to a banging noise.
“No promises,” at least one person said in response.
This was our greeting from the governor of the state.
Posted by Jess Spring on Monday, February 26, 2018
Justice, a billionaire, told teachers that they need to put aside their legitimate concerns with pay and insurance costs.
“You need to be back in the classrooms,” he told teachers, warning that he would “Get redneck” on them if they persisted in making the “very dumb move” of demanding fair wages that axtually cover their expenses. Justice, who tells teachers he is an ally, then took to Twitter to threaten the underpaid striking workers in a grammatically-incorrect tweet:
I am telling you there’s consequences for everything. . . . I’m telling you, the very best thing you can do is be in the classroom. #wvgov
— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) February 26, 2018
As many pointed out, Justice recently made headlines for getting away with failing to pay his taxes.
Naturally, this didn’t go over well:
Obviously there’s no consequences for “everything”. Like you not paying your taxes and being a ghost around Charleston while the shit is hitting the fan.
— Phillip Painter (@PhilPainter4) February 26, 2018
Consequences? What does that mean? Get rid of all the teachers in the state so that my child has ZERO hope? Just pay them what they need. This is getting out of hand. You admit they’ve been forgotten, but you offer nothing?
— Dee (@doodle75) February 26, 2018
I’m telling you Mr. Governor that consequences is plural and is on the contraction of there’s is singular… it should be there are consequences… thank you for the opportunity to teach SOMEONE today. #iamateacher #teacherstrong #55strong #55United
— Wendy Johnson (@poolgirl1218) February 26, 2018
This sounds like a threat. I’m not sure, but I don’t think a man who doesn’t even pay his own taxes should be threatening anyone. Half of these teachers stood by you, and you’re being utterly ridiculous. Let these teachers’ voices be HEARD; it wouldn’t be heard otherwise!
— B (@brookemathis_xo) February 26, 2018
— Amestor (@Trouble_luvs_Me) February 26, 2018
I’m telling you, there *are consequences for not paying teachers a fair salary. Clearly the best thing you could do is go back to the classroom and learn proper grammar.
— pretentious psychology major pawpaw (@shivshiveshakes) February 26, 2018
There -is- consequences? *are. Maybe the best for you is to be in the classroom.
— yup (@Call_Me_Otaku) February 27, 2018
“Being on the nightly news across the nation is not helping us. It’s not helping raise incomes so you can fulfill your dreams,” Justice later tweeted.
Being on the nightly news across the nation is not helping us. It’s not helping raise incomes so you can fulfill your dreams. #wvgov
— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) February 26, 2018
The strike continues as teachers press lawmakers to fix the state insurance program so their paltry “raises” can pay for more school supplies that are, like proper wages, apparently not in the legislature’s plans for state educators and other employees.
Image via screengrab