美国国家公共电台 NPR West Virginia Teachers To End Strike After Reaching Deal With Governor

 

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

West Virginia teachers are ending their strike which has shut down all the state's public schools since last Thursday. Union leaders met with Governor Jim Justice, and they have settled on higher pay rates. On the line with us now to give us an update is Dave Mistich of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Thank you for joining us.

DAVE MISTICH, BYLINE¹: Thanks, Ailsa.

CHANG: What was the main sticking point for teachers going into this strike? What was the main thing that they wanted to get out of it?

MISTICH: Well, there were a couple of big things, one being pay. West Virginia ranks 48th nationally across the United States, including Washington, D.C., in average teacher pay. So that was a big one as well as a fix - a long-term fix, I should say, to their health care program known as the Public Employees Insurance Agency.

In terms of pay increases, the governor last week on the eve of this strike signed a bill that called for teachers a 4 percent raise over the course of three years. For school service personnel², that called for 3 percent over two years. When that bill was signed, teachers went immediately, did not change their plans. They started their walkout. And that's where things stood up until today.

CHANG: OK. And so what did they get out of the deal with the governor today?

MISTICH: Right. So union leaders met with Governor Justice, and this evening they announced a 5 percent raise for teachers this coming year. That also comes along with a 3 percent raise for all state employees.

CHANG: OK.

MISTICH: So as far as what the deal came out today - 3 percent across the board for all state employees with an additional 2 percent for teachers and service personnel.

CHANG: Throughout this strike, the governor has said that the state's economy is still kind of on shaky ground, and he has asked the school employees to just hang on and wait for the economy to continue to recover. Where is this money going to come from, this money that's been promised to the teachers and other employees?

MISTICH: I mean, that's the question. I mean, at this point, it goes to the hands of the legislature. They've been saying all along that the Republican³ leadership has called on the governor and themselves to be fiscally⁴ responsible. They've told teachers that. So with this even higher salary increase for teachers and also including other state employees, that right now is the big question at hand.

CHANG: So the state legislature still has to formally approve this. And how likely is that going to happen?

MISTICH: Well, there is a deadline for them tomorrow. But the governor could actually call them back into special session. The governor's office is also looking at some provisions⁵ in state code that would allow them to pass this before the end of the session, which is March 10. But if it doesn't happen by the end of the session, he can always call them back for a special session. And it's likely that that's probably going to be the way that this works out.

CHANG: OK, so it's not a done deal yet. I'm assuming you've talked to some teachers. How are they feeling about the deal that went through as of today?

MISTICH: Right. Well, you know, as this press conference was going on, the teachers - they packed outside of the governor's reception room. Eventually some of them were let into the press conference. And, you know, while a few expressed a lot of happiness over this, there weren't as many cheers as you would have expected as we've heard all along throughout this strike. But I will say that, you know, that to me indicates some skepticism which I think inevitably⁶ we're going to see a lot of from lawmakers as this continues on.

CHANG: OK. That's Dave Mistich of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Thank you.

MISTICH: All right, thank you.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 personnel   

n.[总称]人员，员工，人事部门

参考例句：

• The personnel are not happy to change these rules.全体工作人员对改变这些规定很不高兴。
• Personnel has lost my tax forms.人事部门把我的税收表格给弄丢了。

3 republican   

n.拥护共和政体的人； adj.共和政体的，（Republican）共和党人，（Republican）共和党的

参考例句：

• Some families have been republican for generations.有些家庭世代都支持共和党。
• A third candidate has entered the contest for the Republican nomination.第三个候选人已经加入角逐共和党提名的行列。

4 fiscally   

在国库方面，财政上，在国库岁入方面

参考例句：

• Nor will fiscally stretched governments pump more money into the political equivalent of a leper colony. 财政吃紧的政府也不愿将更多的钱投入这个避之唯恐不及的政治瘟疫区。
• We are more fiscally constrained, which forces us to work smarter and more efficiently. 与F-15相比我们资金上的限制更大了，美女类小游戏，这迫使我们更为精心和有效地工作。

5 provisions   

n.粮食，食品

参考例句：

• The campers got their provisions at the village shop. 野营者在乡村商店买食物。
• Both sides have to act according to the provisions of the agreement. 双方都应按照协议条款办事。

6 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。