Hats off to the rank-and-file teachers of AFT-West Virginia. Despite a number of mixed messages from elected leaders, you held the line and you won! You have been an inspiration to all of us across the country. We are sure that your students will be delighted to have you back in the classroom tomorrow. 

Through persistence and perseverance, the teachers of West Virginia won a five-percent wage increase in a climate that is usually volatile toward union organizing.

At NYSNA, we know how important the collective bargaining process is to ensure that our voices are heard and our members are treated fairly. West Virginia teachers used all of the tools at their disposal to protect their profession, including participating in an almost two-week strike for livable wages. Teachers care for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. We applaud and support the actions of these educators who can now go back to work with the benefits and wages they greatly deserve.