David Adkins, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Gayle Manchin Tours Old Huntington Factory Turned Community Hub

Gayle Manchin, Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-chair, toured a defunct factory last Wednesday that’s been turned into a community space in Huntington.

The West Edge factory was once a clothing factory that shut down in 2002. It was purchased by the nonprofit Coalfield Development in 2014 and has since become a space for community events, artist studios, and a work space for developing enterprises.

In partnership with Solar Holler, The West Edge is also home to the largest solar installation for a non-profit in West Virginia.

Jacob Hannah, Coalfield Development’s Director of Conversation, Presenting Solar Energy Produced

While on a tour of the building, Gayle Manchin noted the importance of the old building to the local community. She said, “it was their grandmother’s that worked in this building. I think it helps build pride in families, that the generations later see the rebirth of something else in a place that they were familiar with.”

The West Edge is home to Coalfield Development’s revitalization enterprise groups. These enterprise groups include Mountain Mindful, Refresh Appalachia, and Revitalize Appalachia.

Mountain Mindful produces self care products and uses upcycled materials to build furnishings, Refresh Appalachia is a distributor of fresh food and produce, and Revitalize Appalachia works to construct homes for unemployed and underemployed people in Wayne, Mingo, and Lincoln counties. Each enterprise offers job training.

Marilyn Wrenn, Coalfield’s Chief Development Officer, said their training program offers mentorship and certification opportunities to sometimes struggling students. She added that the training can be applied as credit hours toward an Associates degree at Bridge Valley, Mountwest, and Southern West Virginia community colleges.

Wrenn noted that, “about a third are in recovery for substance use disorder. Another third, and there’s a lot of overlap but not completely, are justice [system] involved.” She added that, “everyone that we’ve hired has been unemployed.”

“It’s inspired me to hopefully start my own business someday,” said Amanda Whitlock, a member of the woodshop crew. She said she came to the training program after graduating from recovery treatment. Whitlock is a full time student and a mother of a 2-year-old son.

Whitlock says she’s grateful for the opportunity to build a career for herself. Whitlock told Manchin that she feels, “like I’m just really off on the right foot as far as going to school and working full time. And this place has just really fostered a lot of growth for me.”

Gayle Manchin, Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-chair, meets the Workshop crew

Jacob Hannah, Coalfield Development’s Director of Conversation, presented to Manchin ways that Coalfield Development is utilizing Appalachian Regional Commission grants to expand their recycling and upcycling programs.

By collaborating with local organizations such as Marshall University and the Wayne County Economic Development Authority, recycled and upcycled materials are used to fill niche needs. For example, sawdust and scrap fabrics can be reused as farming materials.

“The idea is like, how can we sort of look at those low hanging fruits and tie them all together, and so it’s sort of been growing and growing throughout these different counties, to where we identify partners and communities and organizations that could be a part of this conversation,” said Hannah.

To expand on the recycling and upcycling programs, Coalfield purchased the Black Diamond property next door. Just like the West Edge factory, the Black Diamond building has had a long industrial history and the area and has long sat vacant.

Brandon Dennison, Coalfield Development’s CEO, and Coalfield Jacob Hannah, Development’s Director of Conversation, present to Gayle Manchin the Black Diamond project.

Brandon Dennison, Coalfield Development’s CEO, said that instead of thinking of economic development as attracting outside companies to locate in the region, the non-profit is taking a different approach. He said, “I think the more we work with who we have here already, and what we have here already, and start where we are, even if it’s an empty building, it’s got great bones, it’s got soul and character, and I think the more we do that from the bottom up, that will naturally organically attract.”

“The thing that I want each and every one of you to realize is that ARC does not go around handing out money. That’s not what we do. It’s not who we are,” said Manchin at the end of the tour. “What we are, is that federal agency that is there waiting for the local communities to realize their challenges, come up with solutions, working together with the community, with your elected officials, with your educational leaders.”

Manchin added, “we can help communities start to thrive. But the ultimate goal is we want our communities to be able to compete. I look to people like Brandon and others across the state that truly is going to bring to the surface ideas and proposals that can transform this region.”

Gale Manchin and Coalfield Development Team

Coalfield Development is one of the 60 finalists in the first stage of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge from the United States Economic Development Administration. The final stage of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge 25 million to 100 million dollars in funding.

Huntington's New Police Chief Talks Goals For Department And Tackling Opioid Epidemic

On Nov. 22, 2021, Huntington’s new police chief, Karl Colder, took the oath office, becoming the first Black police chief in the city’s history. Chief Colder served as a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. He spoke with David Adkins to discuss the beginning of his tenure and his upcoming plans for the Huntington Police Department.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

David Adkins: Mayor Williams has said that you’re “unbelievably qualified”. He said he knew you from your work in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and that you’re a familiar face to Huntington. What is your familiarity with the city?

Chief Colder: I saw the limited resources that were afforded to West Virginia at the federal level concerning the opioid issue, being the highest overdose death rate per capita in the country. So I had to bring in resources.

Part of that responsibility was to unite with Health and Human Services, the health department, other federal, state, and local agencies, to come together to join forces in dealing with substance use disorders and the opioid epidemic.

My area of responsibility was vast at that point in time. Still, you have to have that coordination between agencies, even bringing that skill set to the federal government working with our federal partners, our state partners and even the surrounding police departments within the area, or region to deal with police issues. To deal with the drug problem.

David Adkins: Do you find that your time working as a consultant and instructor has given you insight into how best to improve upon the Huntington Police Department?

Chief Colder: Policing in general has changed, it has gone from a more, I would say, hands on approach to a more analytical approach, and so a lot of what I did in my consulting was bringing analytics tools from different companies into the federal government system for law enforcement, and even in state and local systems. So when, for example, police chiefs need to know how to dedicate their resources. Well, now with analytical tools, they can better do that job, because now they can pinpoint where problem areas are, and dedicate resources to it. So that’s where the analytics comes in. So now what took agencies and public police departments months to solve in terms of cases, or even years, could take weeks.

Right now, I could say where we’re right at the beginning to mid levels in dealing with analytics. There’s different tools that we’re using now that can put us in the forefront of that, but now working with the US Attorney’s Office, working with the Fusion Center in Charleston, creating our own fusion center, and Task Force oriented policing here in the Huntington area. That’s really important, getting agencies to deconflict, and that means sharing information, and so we have several task forces here in the Huntington surrounding area. How can we get them all at the same table at the same time, sharing information, unifying to really deal with issues and problems?

David Adkins: The Deputy Police Chief position was created within the department, and former Lt. Phil Watkins was chosen for the position. What factors went into creating the position?

Chief Colder: I think that was one of the first things that the mayor and I spoke about, early on, when I accepted the position, and one of the reasons we looked at that, we wanted to really provide administrative support to what we were doing in terms of the police department.

For example, we had one captain, who may have been responsible for community outreach, recruitment, professional standards, and really, what we wanted to do is separate that out . So now there’s direct oversight over this committee, community policing, which is really important, as we all know, from what’s going on across the country, in terms of social injustice and other issues that have gone on. You have your professional standards, which is the integrity component of your whole agency. And that shouldn’t be included in other operations, you know, that should be separated out and controlled through the police chief and deputy chief.

Note: Huntington City Councilwoman Teresa Johnson will host a meet-and-greet with Police Chief Karl Colder at 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 11, at the A.D. Lewis Community Center. The meet-and-greet aims to introduce Police Chief Colder to the community of Huntington’s Fairfield District.

David Adkins: Huntington has had a long troubled history with race relations. With you being the city’s first black police chief, how does it feel to be part of our evolving history?

Chief Colder: Policing has not always been on the right side of the people, and it’s been that way in any African American community. I really think that understanding that as an African American police chief, I can better prepare our officers for those questions, and how to police in that setting. I think that is really important, that we understand culture, that we become culturally adroit to the African American community, as well as the white community. We have to be that face of America, well, we need officers who are African American. My job is to be the face of the agency, and also the face of the community. I think that’s important, me serving as the role model for the community. I think bringing my credentials to the table, sharing that with the community, whether that’s the white community or black community, I think that’s a great thing for people to see that people of color are successful.

My teaching experience, I think that taught me a whole lot about young people, and oftentimes we don’t get to hear their voice. They don’t see things the way that we see it as adults, and there’s a reason for that, but that’s where we can cultivate leaders, get young people to understand that there are differences, because a lot of issues that we deal with are subjective. Our young people have to do their own research, they have to understand what’s really going on, and they can’t depend on the media and adults to really tell them what’s going on, because adults have a hard time talking to each other; young people, they see it differently. I had the opportunity to spend the last two years or so understanding young people.

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Embraces His Fans and Cares for Kids This Holiday Season

Singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., recently completed his “Home For the Holidays” Tour of West Virginia with special guest Holly Forbes from NBC’s “The Voice.”

Murphy broke onto the global stage in 2011, winning season six of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Since then, he has used his fame to raise millions of dollars for charities that help children and the homeless, and he serves on the board of directors for the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia.

He spoke with David Adkins to discuss his second annual “Kid’s Joy Toy Drive,” and to chat about touring again.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

David Adkins: What is it like being able to come back and be on tour, post-pandemic?

Landau: It’s like a dream come true all over again. I wasn’t able to actually tour or even be on stage and perform in front of my fans. I’m a people person. You go from singing to a sold-out crowd of real faces, to just now a camera. It’s like you can’t interact with the people like I normally would do. I love to tell my stories while I’m singing the songs or after I sing a song, I’ll tell a story about my life. I like to let people know what it’s like to be me or know what it’s like to follow your dreams. So I always give my testimony. When they scream out, “I love you Landau!” I’ll say “I love you” back. “What’s your name?” And I’ll make them a part of the show. That’s just how I stay quick-witted.

You get on stage, that’s actually your time to vent. That’s actually your time to have a conversation with some people. I live alone with my four-year-old son. So me and him, we play video games or play with his wrestling man and things like that, but I really don’t have people to talk to about what’s going on. When I’m on stage, that is my comfy couch. [Laughs] Ya know I get up there and I can release all the jokes that I’ve had in my head before the show. [Laughs] You know what I’m saying? Once you get on stage, man, that audience is your bloodline, it feeds you everything, and it comes back to you so wonderful that it puts a smile on your face and it releases all of that stuff that you really wanted to actually get out.

David Adkins: Do you find a difference in the reception you received from fans within West Virginia versus outside of West Virginia?

Landau: The reception is good everywhere. Everybody approaches me and says, “Man, we voted for you on the show a million times, we are so glad you won. We knew you were gonna win the first time you sang a song.” It’s different out of state, to in-state, because when you’re at home you’re in front of your friends, your relatives, the people who know you, they see you everyday. It’s hard to perform in front of those people. But that’s your learning ground. When you’re on stage in front of your family and friends, they’re actually there and they’re screaming out stuff.

They’re like, “Man, when next time you get back to the Piggly Wiggly” –they all got a different thing, man, and you, you have to be very witty, you have to be very fast. The audience that’s out of state, they’re gonna scream out, “Oh, we love you,” “God bless you,” and things like that. And then it’s just easy to deal with.

David Adkins: You mentioned the genre is unifying for different generations, different people from walks of life and being. Leaving the state, being able to connect with people from everywhere. What has that been like?

Landau: That’s been amazing because you learn so much, you can always learn something every day from different people. Certain people will see you as a fan, a lot of fans that come at you as a mentor. I mean, they’re fans at the same time and are telling you how to stay grounded, how to keep focused, they’re actually telling you how to invest, telling you things that you need to keep going. Then you have fans that just keep you motivated, that receive you as somebody that they really, really look up to. So that’s another part of it that keeps you motivated and keeps you grounded, because now you have a responsibility. Different people from different walks of life and you just embrace every bit of it, every moment of it.

You know, I’ve been in a place where I was singing, there was a guy sitting over at the bar. I was in a casino, I was doing a show, and I was doing my soundcheck. And while I’m sitting, there was a guy sitting at the bar in the casino. And he’s upset that someone was sounding like Frank Sinatra, he was really really upset. But he was happy that he was hearing Frank Sinatra, but when he saw who I was, he was upset. He thought there was a track and I was lip-synching. And so he starts cursing at the bartender. Like there’s no way this guy’s up this thing and it sounded like Frank Sinatra. “You mean to tell me this colored guy is up there right now. And he sounds like Frank Sinatra. That’s BS.” I mean, he was just really mad.

I can see it from a distance, but I couldn’t hear what was going on. So the lady comes up to me after my soundcheck, she’s got tears running down her face. And she’s like, “Mr. Murphy, I’m so sorry you had to hear what that man was saying. I’m so sorry. We asked him to leave.” And I was like, “What was going on?” She said “He was just mad, because he thought that you were lip-synching, and there’s no way that a colored man could sound like Frank Sinatra. And you sounded just as good or better to Frank Sinatra. He was so upset.” And I was just like wow. It was flattering to me that I could upset this man that much.

It’s flattering to me to have people who come to the show. They’ll show me pictures of when they dressed up on Halloween as me, and these are white males. [Laughs] You know? They put dreadlocks in their hair, brown on their face. And I embrace those moments, I’m like “I’m flattered that you’d dress up like me for Halloween,” but then there are some people that can see me laughing at that or liking that moment and being like “oh my God, you’re making black-face cool.” I’m like, “No I’m flattered because this guy dressed up like me for halloween. He dressed up like me.” I don’t see the negative in that. So many people want to point out the negative in certain things, and I just don’t. I see the happiness in every bit of it. It’s not like he was out there making fun of me and mocking me. He was actually proud to dress up like Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. You have different people from different walks of life all coming together under one roof. Enjoying the music. Enjoying the stories. Enjoying me or what my journey was like to get to that place. And that’s what I give when I do my concerts.

David Adkins: Holly Forbes is a guest on your tour. As both incredible singers from Appalachia, do you find a lot in common?

Landau: She’s very humble and I love that about her. She’s not arrogant. She’s not a diva. She’s just like me and you — very down to earth. She’s approachable. She thanks her fans for all the support from her run on the television show and now people have come out to actually see her. I mean, when we go across the state doing promos across the state of West Virginia, t’s not overwhelming for her. I think she’s handling it very well. It is like a head-turner, though, to her, she’s like, “Wow, I can’t believe it’s happening.” Like ya they’re gonna love you, just take pictures with people, hug them, you know, or keep your distance, whichever one you prefer. But make sure you just show them that you respect and love the fact that they support you.” You know, once she hits the studio, and it’s her own CDs, they’re gonna fly off the shelves because everybody loves her. a lot of people that come off those shows, they have a shelf life of maybe two to six months. And then you don’t hear anything else about them. We’re trying to make sure that doesn’t happen to Holly. Same way we made sure it didn’t happen to me.

David Adkins: You have to keep that longevity going.

Landau: Yes, you hit the ground running, like Fred Flintstone. [Laughs]

David Adkins: Last year during the pandemic, you started Landau Kid’s Joy Toy Drive. This year it returned. What’s the best part of being able to do this for children who are struggling?

Landau: Just to put smiles on the kids’ faces that are in the hospital at this time of year. Give some joy to some kids who feel left out or can’t be around their family at this time of the year because they’re, you know, in the hospital. So what I did was, I started Landhaus Kids Joy Toy Drive. And what I did was set up a whole website. You can actually click on the website and it takes you straight to Amazon, you can buy a toy from $1, or up to $20 bucks, for kids age zero up to like 12/13 years old. I get all the toys, then we take all the toys and wrap them ourselves. And then I deliver him to the hospital. As far as COVID is, you know, going around, it’s hard to get into these hospitals. And sometimes I just drop off a big box of toys. The nurses pass the toys out to the kids. We try to find out how many kids are in there. So we can drop off the right amount because we want to spread them out to all the kids, we don’t want any kids to miss out. As far as it started last year, it was kind of small, but now this year it got a whole lot bigger, so I’ve been wrapping a whole lot of toys. And it’s still some toys coming in now that we still have to wrap. I want this thing to actually expand beyond the hospitals and actually start rewarding some kids for getting good grades in school, staying in school, listening to your parents – things like that just reward the kids to make them feel appreciated when they’re doing great.

David Adkins: Well, I guess there’s just one last thing to ask and that’s: how are you planning on spending your holidays.

Landau: Before Christmas, I’m packing up all of these toys that I have wrapped right now, and I’m taking them around to the hospitals, passing them out to the kids, and then after that, it’s coming home, spending Christmas, and then flying my four year old out to Disney World. His birthday is Dec. 30. This is actually his second time I took him during the pandemic. So now I’m taking him for his birthday and he has no clue. He has no idea.

Diversity Speaker Promotes Advocacy Through Art, Theater In The Ohio River Valley

As part of our “Returning Home” series, David talks with Carmen Mitzi Sinnott about her decision to come back to Appalachia after years of delivering keynote performances, workshops, and classes around the world.

Sinnott is a mixed race women from the region who uses her background as an artist and educator to help others discuss equity and identity, through her company, “All Here Together Productions”.

Presently, Sinnott and “ALL Here Together Productions” are working on a project to bring artists together from around the nation to paint murals in Huntington’s Fairfield district. The murals are planned to be painted in the spring of 2022.

The transcript below is from the original broadcast. It has been lightly edited for clarity.

Mitzi: So I had already been traveling to train with dance masters in Columbus, Ohio, so as a high schooler, I was driving myself to Columbus, Ohio twice a week. It was pretty clear at that point, what I wanted to achieve, I wanted to become a professional dancer. Both my parents are successful performing artists, Appalachian successful performing artists. And both of them have aspirations of doing more work outside of here. So when I decided at 16, that was the moment I was like, Okay, I really want to do this professionally. Russell High School in Russell, Kentucky actually take their senior class for a week to New York City and Washington DC. The teachers were so amazing, they let me take dance class outside of the tour that was scheduled.

David Adkins: What made you change your career from a Dancer to an educator?

Mitzi: For a year I was like Mom, I want to go to Los Angeles. I wanna do Music Videos. I moved to Los Angeles for a year after one year at F-I-T. I realized at that point, there were jobs available for dance teachers in public schools in Manhattan. The position of director of the extended day program at the school of Future became available. And I had worked there for a year part time, their director, Samantha Vincent, who, by the way, is Vin Diesel’s sister, she was like, “Mitzi, I think you could be the next director. I’m leaving to go to Las Angeles.”

David Adkins: What motivated you to start All Here Together Productions, and what motivated you to write the play Snapshot, which is based on your father and your life in Appalachia?

Mitzi: The protests in New York City about the U.S’s invasion in Iraq, it really instigated something in me, where I was already thinking about war, and the ridiculousness of war and not having a real purpose other than destroying families, communities, nations.

So All Here Together Productions expanded to community work, and doing this sort of self reflective, and always thinking about culture, race, ethnicity, and, you know, violent. My story, using it as a way to sound off about who we are, where do we want to be in the future? Like, what are our wounds? What are our pains, what might be holding us? And who do we want to become in the future. So all here together, productions started. Even more, it was always about national and international interactions, like from the start.

David Adkins: When did you start shifting your attention toward the region?

Mitzi: In early 2016, the United Way of the River Cities was beginning to plan their approach to a grant that was called Together We Rise. The United Way nationally wanted to see if their organizations could somehow have conversations around racism and dismantling racism because of them murder, the massacre in Charleston, South Carolina and the church there. So I was asked to come on Sandra Clements had recommended to Laura Gilliam.

They had, already, some community leaders coming together to design what a town hall might look like around racism. They were really nervous about having conversations about racism. What I’m suggesting we do is use art as a way to sort of break up the tension first, create a place for understanding and common ground before we start to get into the conversation. And so I was able to apply that All Here Together style to what United Way river cities wanted to accomplish with their town hall.

So I wrote a short play that had community members performing and that’s how we opened up the first United Way of the River Cities, Together We Rise, with a play, the actors were sitting amongst the over 250 people that showed up in Huntington. I’m so grateful for Huntington, the folks in Huntington who have allowed me to be part of their processes.

Striking Workers Urge Huntington City Council To Support Blocked Resolution

Huntington’s City Council chambers were filled Monday night with employees participating in two separate strikes at the Cabell Huntington Hospital and Special Metals. Members of the council considered a resolution that called for both organizations to come to the negotiating table in good faith.

The motion was blocked by Huntington’s legal team on grounds of impartiality.

The resolution in support of the strikers was introduced by Councilman Bob Bailey. He noted the importance to “get behind these people in these picket lines. Christmas is coming. […] They need Christmas presents for their children. So I’m only going to pray that you’ll do the right thing. And back these union people. These are our people.”

A federal mediator has called on the Cabell Huntington Hospital and SEIU to return to the negotiating table on Nov. 30.

Molly Frick, director of human resources for Cabell Huntington Hospital, issued a statement Monday. “We eagerly await confirmation to return to the bargaining table,” Frick said. “We presented our last offer to the SEIU District 1199 on Nov. 9. As of today, not only have we not received a counteroffer, we have not received any response. We recognize a strike is a serious matter that deserves earnest action.

She added: “Work stoppages at hospitals differ from those at industrial facilities. The very health and well-being of human lives are the responsibility of the entire team. We have heard from many union members that they’re ready to return to caring for patients and supporting operations. We encourage the SEIU to either respond to our offer or return to the bargaining table, so that our team members can return to work.”

The organizing director of SEIU District 1199, Sherri McKinney, argued in a statement that the Cabell Huntington Hospital isn’t truly acting in good faith, “when they have made an offer far less than what we have already had for decades and bargained for on Nov. 3.”

“It is our hope that the hospital will do what is just and fair and stop this strike in good faith during this holiday season for the Huntington Community at-large, but after the many false statements to the media and divisive tactics, they need to find another way of conducting business,” McKinney said.

Two union hospital employees came to speak before the council in support of Bailey’s resolution to support the striking workers.

Union worker Trish Burns shared with the city council how her sudden loss of health care has affected her 25-year-old son. “He’s a full-time college student. He has worked full time to pay for his education. Last week he was admitted to the hospital with no insurance because Cabell ripped my insurance away.”

Trish Burns speaking at the 11-22-2021 City Council Meeting

Council member Tia Rambaugh called for her colleagues to take a position. “Ultimately, I think that governance and administration should not remain impartial in these situations, because this is our community,” Rambaugh said.

Despite her background in business, she argued that it was unethical to stay quiet on the sidelines. “You guys are our workers. We are your neighbors. And it’s important for us to make our opinions known so that administration in these businesses can potentially recognize that they’re not working in a silo, that we all have to work together, and that our opinions mean something.”

Councilman Patrick Jones was the last to speak on the resolution. With tears in his eyes, Jones argued it is not unreasonable to demand higher compensation to keep pace with inflation. “Their children, many of whom I see in the halls of our schools each day while I’m working, can enjoy this holiday season in the same manner with a feeling of security and peace that the families of officials in management at these institutions will surely enjoy,” Jones said.

Council members officially didn’t side with either the workers or the companies. It is the 53rd day since the Special Metals strike began, and it is the 20th day of the Cabell Huntington Hospital strike.

Jones swore that if there is not a deal made in the next two weeks, he will introduce another resolution to the city council.

Huntington Hospital Strike Draws Out With No Deal In Sight

Hundreds of workers at Cabell Huntington Hospital have been on strike for 16 days.

The union says it’s on strike because the hospital plans to cut workers’ pay by 10 percent. It notes that healthcare costs are going up, and retirees stand to lose their insurance entirely.

The collective bargaining agreement between the two parties expired at the start of the strike.

Struggles on the picket line and at the negotiation table are growing more tense by the day.

About 900 workers walked out on their jobs Nov. 3, and almost all haven’t been back since then, according to the union that represents them. District 1199 of the Service Employees International Union represents service, maintenance and even some clinical staff at the hospital.

“All they just want to do is just try to see who they can spook and intimidate to just stay indoors,” said union board member Damon Core. “We’re here and we’re staying strong. One day longer, one day stronger.”

A federal mediator is now involved, but there’s no date set on when both parties will come to the negotiation table again.

“Cabell Huntington Hospital presented a comprehensive counteroffer to the SEIU District 1199, and we are waiting for the union to respond. Cabell Huntington Hospital is prepared to resume bargaining when requested by the federal mediator,” said Molly Frick, director of human resources at Cabell Huntington Hospital Wednesday.

The strike forced the hospital to act quickly to cover its patients. On day one of the strike, the hospital brought in temporary contract workers to fill the roles of those that walked out. But the hospital continues to release statements that encourage workers to leave the picket line and come back to their jobs.

Core doesn’t see how the hospital can pay for temporary staff but not longtime union workers.

“You want to tell us that you’re having a problem with us and our healthcare. You’re paying for [temp workers] to stay in these hotels. You paid for them to be bussed up here,” Core said.

Most recently, the hospital filed for and received a restraining order against the picketers. The picket line is still going, but workers cannot stay there at all hours of the day. They also can’t use bull horns, play music, or engage with those coming in and out of the hospital.

A Cabell County Circuit Court judge said workers on strike can’t do anything that would impede the “healing process.” Since the hospital provides essential services, it has gained some protections during this dispute. Even before the court order, union nurses have been contractually obligated to stay on the job to meet patient needs.

“Patient care at the hospital has continued without interruption, patient admissions have remained high and the surgery department continues to carry a full caseload,” said Frick.

These words offer some reassurance to Huntington Mayor Steve Williams.

“The hospital will do everything that it can to make sure that they are caring for their patients. But they’re operating without their essential workers. And I’m praying that the workers and the leadership of the hospital will be able to come together and resolve their differences,” Williams said.

Other West Virginians are showing up on the side of the workers. One of those is Stephen Smith, who ran against Gov. Jim Justice in 2020 and works with the group WV Can’t Wait, which hopes to bring more progressive candidates to political offices throughout the state.

To Smith and his group, the workers are inspirational.

“What they’re doing in Huntington is sending a message that all of us, the whole rest of the state, anybody’s working for a living, that you don’t have to put up with it,” Smith said. “The company is telling you, you’re an essential worker, and you’re a hero, but stabbing you in the back, as soon as they get the chance.”

The last time union workers at the hospital went on strike was in 1998. That lasted 17 days.

The union announced it will make arguments against the restraining order Tuesday in Cabell County Circuit Court. There’s no set date for both parties to come back to the negotiation table.

Down at the picket line, Core said even more people have showed their support.

“I just can’t thank the community enough. I mean, for all the love, the cares, prayers, concerns, the food drink. That has really made me very proud. Not just to be out here on this line, but to be a citizen of Huntington,” Core said.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.