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Shenandoah Valley Teachers on Strike

SHENANDOAH – Most teachers around the state are preparing their students for finals, but 87 school employees from the Shenandoah Valley School District ar...

SHENANDOAH - Most teachers around the state are preparing their students for finals, but 87 school employees from the Shenandoah Valley School District are walking the picket line.

The teachers have been working without a contract for three years and union members said now is the right time to strike.

"Why now? Things have come to a halt and this is our next step," Richard Werner, the president of the Shenandoah Valley Education Association.

However, teachers plan to be back in the classroom on Thursday.

"Two days is what it is. It's just two days and shows our willingness to go the extra distance," Werner said.

Elieen Pfaff ended up watching her grandkids because of the strike. She said if teachers are only going to picket for two days, what's the point?

"Why do it? Why wait now for the end of the year? It's ridiculous."

The union said the strike is short because teachers want to make sure school ends on time for the students.

During the strike, only seniors attend classes. School administrators said they are teaching the seniors during the strike, while all the other grades stay home.

So far, there is no plan for both sides to go to the bargaining table.

"We've been in contact with them, they've been in contact with us. We can't agree if we will or when to meet," said Werner.

Teachers said the strike won't affect any after-school activities, but it will change whatever was supposed to happen during school and one little girl said that's making her pretty upset.

"I wanted to do a concert for all my friends today in school, but I got really mad and was flipping out after they said we were going on strike," said Angel Kilkenny, a fourth grade student at Shenandoah Valley.

Newswatch 16 tried to reach out to school officials, but most of them were teaching seniors on Thursday.

All Shenandoah valley students are expected to be back in school on Thursday and school officials say graduation is still set for June 1.

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