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Senate President Criticizes Union’s Endorsement Edict
By: Associated Press
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia Senate President Mitch Carmichael is criticizing a teachers union that won a pay raise earlier this year over what he called its “Obama style socialist agenda.”
The Jackson County Republican said Tuesday on Twitter the American Federation of Teachers’ agenda “doesn’t represent values” of West Virginia families, students and educators.
His statement came after the union voted to demand that all of its endorsed candidates support universal health care, free tuition at public colleges, free child care, and taxing the rich to fund schools. Carmichael urged candidates to reject the “radical” agenda.
AFT-West Virginia President Christine Campbell says on Twitter “expecting candidates to support workers’ issues isn’t radical; it’s imperative for raising the bar in (West Virginia) elections.”
Teachers received a 5 percent raise in early March following a nine-day strike.