Employees at West Virginia's public schools and higher education institutions account for more than half of the grievances filed by public workers in 2008.

According to a report released Wednesday, 1,697 grievances were filed last year. That total includes 592 from county school employees and 277 from higher education workers.

The report by the state Public Employees Grievance Board says the majority of grievances involved pay or employee classifications.

Grievance board Chairman Bob Brown told lawmakers during an interim committee meeting that the figures are preliminary. Brown says agencies aren't required to report grievances and he hopes to change that.

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