This week, Inside Appalachia, a West Virginia man is reviving a Black coal camp through farming. Also, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage. And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. He’s remembered during Juneteenth through his poetry.
Home » Bill to Keep West Virginians Working Passes in House Finance Committee
Published
Bill to Keep West Virginians Working Passes in House Finance Committee
Listen
Share this Article
House Bill 4409 creates the Valued Employee Retention Program with the goal of giving employers incentive to reduce workers’ hours rather than laying them off.
It requires employers to enter an agreement to submit a plan explaining how instead of laying off their employees they would reduce their hours. In exchange, the employee could get unemployment benefits proportional to the amount of hours that they’ve been reduced.
If the employee had an eight hour day and the employer cut it to four hours, they would be eligible for 50 percent of what they would if they were laid off.
The program is intended to be short term. Proposed programs from employers can only be approved for a period of one year as the business attempts to recover enough to return their employees to normal hours.
Delegates had many questions; Delegate Daryl Cowles asked about the fiscal impact the bill would have on the Unemployment Trust Fund.
The federal government would assist with part of the cost.
The benefit payments for this program are estimated to be 1.6 million dollars. The U.S. Department of Labor would reimburse compliant states for benefits up to August 22, 2015. The benefit cost is based on several studies of other states which indicate a .7 percent share of total regular benefits paid for.
Despite a few objections, the bill was approved by the committee to be reported to the floor.
This week, Inside Appalachia, a West Virginia man is reviving a Black coal camp through farming. Also, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage. And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. He’s remembered during Juneteenth through his poetry.
On this West Virginia Morning, we hear about a new play from a West Virginia playwright, plus listen to the musical stylings of Paul Thorn for our Song Of The Week.
State borders are now all important in determining access to abortion. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, West Virginia’s only abortion clinic has moved across the border to Maryland to continue providing abortions. This Us & Them episode was recently honored by the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters as Best Podcast of 2024.
On this West Virginia Morning, we hear from a former state official who opposes eliminating clean energy tax credits, and we revisit a discussion on the geography of abortion access.