Published: March 15, 2007 10:09 pm         

AFT: 6% is affordable; strike not certain

CHARLESTON — No decision on a potential strike likely is coming for two weeks, but for now, the American Federation of Teachers in West Virginia says its holdout for a 6 percent salary hike isn’t out of line with the state’s finances.

To get there, however, with the 60-day gathering finished, AFT state president Judy Hale says a special legislative session would be needed.

And when it comes to affordability, the AFT leader is insistent that West Virginia can afford to extend an across-the-board pay increase of 6 percent, given its recent history of huge surpluses when all budget needs were satisfied.

“They had record surpluses the last couple of years,” Hale said Thursday. “And the five-year forecast looks pretty good.”

Talks continue with Gov. Joe Manchin, who originally offered a 2.5 percent increase for teachers and service personnel.

That amount was kicked up to 3.5 percent by the House Education Committee, and the figure stuck in both the House and Senate when the gavels fell in both houses last Saturday night.

A one-day walkout by the West Virginia Education Association emptied schools in 14 counties Wednesday to dramatize the teachers’ dissatisfaction with the pay increase.

Hale declined to criticize the one-day event by the rival union, saying only it attracted widespread media attention.

“It helped to keep education on the radar screen,” she said.

Hale sounded somewhat conciliatory after publicly criticizing the one-day walkout in advance at a Capitol steps rally last Saturday, saying it wouldn’t accomplish much.

As for her 7,300-member AFT, Hale has sent ballots to the rank-and-file to see where her teachers stand on a possible strike this spring, which she earlier suggested in a memo to the membership possibly would be a “prolonged action.”

“We should know in a couple of weeks,” she said.

In an AFT board meeting, it was decided that a simple majority of the ballots returned would decide if a strike is led.

“If we were to call a strike, there are certain goals we would set up in writing,” Hale said.

“We would stay out until we accomplished our goals. We really haven’t set forth exactly what our demands would be if we strike. We’re waiting to see what the ballots say.”

In the meantime, talks are continuing with the governor, she said.

If an even bigger pay increase is approved, it would have to be done in a special legislative session, however, she emphasized.

“This session is over and done with,” Hale added.

“And the 3.5 percent was in the budget, even though they’re still working on it.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com