Tag: prevailing wage

Head of State's Largest Workers Union to Retire

The head of West Virginia’s largest workers union is retiring after more than a decade of service. 

West Virginia AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue announced his retirement this week in an email to union members. 

Perdue has led the union since 2004 and previously served as the union’s vice president and secretary-treasurer. Before that, he served as a local union leader and has been involved in organized labor for more than four decades.

A native of Clarksburg, Perdue is also a member of the West Virginia Workforce Investment Council. 

In his written statement, Perdue said he will step down at the end of the year and looks forward to spending more time with his family.

His email said:

After more than four decades of working in the labor movement and nearly 20 years with the West Virginia AFL-CIO, I have decided to retire at the end of this year.    While I look forward to spending more time with my wife and family (which includes eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren), this decision didn’t come easily.  Throughout my years of service, I have been inspired by the work ethic, integrity and kindness of working West Virginians, who ask for no more than the fair wages, quality benefits and safe workplaces they deserve.   I am deeply grateful for your support of our efforts, and look forward to assisting as the West Virginia AFL-CIO and the labor movement across our country continues this critical work.  

 
Perdue’s retirement comes at a transitional time for unions in West Virginia. Lawmakers have passed legislation during the past two years that union leaders like Perdue call an attacks on workers.

That legislation includes a repeal of the state’s prevailing wage and the passage of a bill that prevents unions from automatically collecting dues from non-union workers. The right-to-work law is being held up in a state court because of a lawsuit led by several unions, including the AFL-CIO.

West Virginia Repeal of State Prevailing Wage Takes Effect

West Virginia has eliminated its prevailing wage for new public construction projects.

The repeal passed this winter by the Republican-led Legislature took effect Thursday. Lawmakers overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, which required a simple majority of the Legislature.

Republicans believe the wage is inflated and said repealing it will save taxpayer money. Democrats said the repeal won’t produce savings, but will reduce pay and benefit out-of-state contractors.

Unions starkly opposed the repeal, though the wage applies to union and non-union contracts.

The repeal applies to new public construction contracts from Thursday onward. Existing contracts aren’t affected.

A 2015 law eliminated the prevailing wage for projects costing $500,000 or less and let Tomblin’s administration change how the wage was calculated. GOP leaders weren’t happy with the recalculation.

W.Va. Dems Aim to Capture Votes from Union After GOP Flip

To regain ground in West Virginia’s Legislature, Democrats acknowledge they’ll need buyer’s remorse from unions at the polls.

West Virginians in union households only favored Democrat Natalie Tennant by 3 percentage points in her losing U.S. Senate bid against Republican Shelley Moore Capito in 2014, according to an exit poll for the AP and TV networks. The GOP also snagged legislative majorities for the first time in more than eight decades.

This year, Republicans approved a bill loathed by unions to make West Virginia the 26th so-called right-to-work state. Thousands of union workers protested at the Capitol.

The state’s Democrats face a difficult precedent. Rallying against right-to-work laws passed in 2012 didn’t work for Democrats in Indiana and Michigan in subsequent elections. Republicans kept majorities and governorships in both states.

Lawmakers Decide to Proceed with Repeal of Prevailing Wage

West Virginia is eliminating its prevailing wage for public construction projects.

In House and Senate Republican party-line votes Friday, lawmakers rebuked Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s veto Thursday. Some House Republicans voted no.

A simple majority was required, a relatively easy bar compared to other states.

Republicans believe the wage is inflated and say repealing it would save taxpayer money. Democrats say the repeal wouldn’t produce savings, but would reduce pay and benefit out-of-state contractors.

Unions starkly opposed the repeal, though the wage applies to union and non-union contracts.

Republican leaders aren’t happy with a compromise last year that let Tomblin’s administration retool the wage.

In his veto, Tomblin said last year’s agreement was “all for naught.”

The repeal becomes effective 90 days from its original passage.

Governor Vetos Right to Work Bill and Prevailing Wage Repeal

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has made good on recent a promise by vetoing two bills passed by the state Legislature.

The governor vetoed House Bill 4005, which repeals the prevailing hourly wage.  In his message, Tomblin said  we don’t need to pass bills that lower the wages of West Virginia workers and do little, if anything, to stimulate our economy.

The governor also vetoed Senate Bill 1, establishing the West Virginia Workplace Freedom Act, also known as right to work.  Tomblin said that he has never had a company cite right to work as a barrier to relocating to West Virginia and doesn’t believe West Virginia needs a right-to-work law that he says would lead to little if any economic growth and may lower the wages of workers.

Both bills had been priorities for the Republican-controlled Legislature. GOP leaders have vowed to override any veto.

House Speaker Tim Armstead issued this statement following Tomblin’s veto:

“Today’s vetoes are disappointing, but not entirely surprising,” Speaker Armstead said. “We believed this would likely be the governor’s response, which is why Senate President Bill Cole and I made early passage of these bills a priority in the first few weeks of the session. Nonetheless, it’s disheartening that the governor, who professes concern about the state’s budget, would reject bills designed to promote economic growth and rein in excess government spending.   “We recognize that moving our state forward requires bold action, and that is exactly what the Legislature took in passing these bills,” Armstead said. “By vetoing the prevailing wage legislation, Governor Tomblin rejected an important measure to make sure West Virginians get the most from their hard-earned tax dollars. The veto of the Workplace Freedom bill reflects a disregard for the rights of workers who simply want to be able to go to work each day and support their families while having the freedom to choose the organizations with which they associate.   “We anticipate the Legislature will vote to override these vetoes in short order."

Senate President Bill Cole also issued a statement on the Governor’s vetoes:

“I am not surprised at Governor Tomblin’s decision to veto these bills, but I am disappointed. From the beginning, I have said the Senate is committed to doing what is necessary in order to move our state forward. I believe both of these bills – the West Virginia Workplace Freedom Act and the repeal of the state’s prevailing wage law – accomplish this goal. The Senate will not delay action to override these vetoes.”

Union Response

AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue also issued a statement on the matter:

“On behalf of 140,000 hard-working men and women represented by the West Virginia AFL-CIO, I would like to thank Governor Tomblin for seeing through the false promises offered by supporters of both these bills. Rather than endorsing legislation that only serves out-of-state corporate interests, the Governor stood up for West Virginia working families." We continually provide examples from other Right to Work states showing the law lowers wages, makes workplaces less safe, and does absolutely nothing to create jobs while inserting government into private business negotiations. But these facts are ignored, because the real goal behind Right to Work is to weaken unions, pure and simple. Yet just last week, we released Public Policy Polling results showing unions to be ‘wildly popular’ among West Virginians — our residents don’t want unions weakened. Not only does repeal of prevailing wage lower wages for working families, it hurts West Virginia contractors and other employers too,” White said. “More than 100 contractors have sent letters to lawmakers stating that abolishing the Prevailing Wage would put West Virginia companies out of business. It is our hope that the legislators who voted in favor of Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 4005 will reconsider, and vote to uphold the Governor’s vetoes.”

Should First-Time Felons Get a Second Chance?

Amber Miller admits she was no angel. She hung out with the wrong crowd. She used drugs.

When she was 20, she went to prison for stealing $30 from her grandmother.

But 12 years later, she is still labeled as a felon. And that’s hurt her ability to find work.

A bi-partisan group of state lawmakers is sponsoring a “second chance” bill. It would allow first-time, non-violent felons to ask a judge to expunge their record a certain time after release.

Opponents say the current law serves as a deterrent, and potential employers have a right to know.

Amber has been able to find work, with help from her mother. But she’s fighting for other felons who she believes should get a second chance.

Also, we discuss whether passage of right to work and repealing the prevailing wage are good economics, political payback, or both.

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