If the PSC approves the increases for both companies, they would take effect in a matter of weeks. City officials want the PSC to at least delay the increases for West Side residents until April 1.
City officials in Charleston want to pause water and gas rate increases for local residents in the wake of recent outages.
Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin and members of the city council have asked the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) to reject or delay proposed rate increases by West Virginia American Water and Mountaineer Gas.
If the PSC approves the increases for both companies, they would take effect in a matter of weeks. City officials want the PSC to at least delay the increases for West Side residents until April 1.
Hundreds of residents on the West Side lost gas service on Nov. 10 when a high-pressure water main burst, flooding gas lines with water.
As of Tuesday, Mountaineer Gas had restored service to 1,000 customers and about 90 percent of the 46 miles of affected gas lines.
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.”
The City of Huntington
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Huntington City Council Broadcast
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.
City of Huntington
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Huntington City Council Broadcast
Huntington Councilman Patrick Jones
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.
The mayor of a West Virginia town has sued the city council for putting him on paid administrative leave and preventing him from doing his job while he is being investigated by state auditors.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Richwood Mayor Bob Henry Baber filed the lawsuit on Monday. The city council had previously asked Baber to resign because of some undocumented purchases found on his government credit card. Baber refused, and the council voted to remove him.
Baber’s lawsuit says the council did not have the authority to remove him as mayor. It also says the council broke the law when they asked him to resign during a meeting that was closed to the public.
Councilman Charles Toussieng told the newspaper the council did not do anything wrong.
Four proposed changes to Huntington’s charter will be on the November ballot.
The Herald-Dispatch reports that City Council voted this week to send the amendments to the Nov. 4 ballot.
One amendment would change the amount of time a city employee could hold a temporary position. Another would change the terminology of the public works director’s qualifications.
A third amendment would change the job title of director of administration and finance to city manager. Council members say the amendment isn’t a change in the form of city government.
The other amendment would require the city to maintain a garage and motor pool “system” for city vehicles. The existing language states that the city must maintain a central garage and motor pool.
A Benwood City Council member didn’t have any opponents in this month’s election. But his re-election is in doubt after his name was mistakenly left off the ballot.
Curtis Mele is one of four council members who were unopposed in the May 13 election.
The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register reports that the ballot mistakenly listed Councilman Chuck Terry as the candidate in Mele’s district. Mele’s name didn’t appear on the ballot.
Mayor Ed Kuca says City Attorney Eric Gordon has sought advice from the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office on how the city should proceed.
Secretary of State’s Office spokesman Jake Glance says the election results have been certified. He says a court likely would decide the matter.
Martinsburg is scheduled to grapple with a new state law that prohibits municipalities from enacting ordinances regulating firearms.
The City County is scheduled to take up the issue at its Thursday meeting.
The city’s legal counsel, Kin Sayre, says the legislation invalidated some portions of the city’s municipal code, which now must be returned to the books.
This year, state lawmakers adopted legislation that restricts a municipality’s ability to regulate where someone with a concealed carry permit can take a firearm.
The Journal reports that Sayre called the state law poorly worded and difficult to enforce.
