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GM Union Agreement Could Put Martinsburg Facility Back To Work

Though it wasn’t official Monday, various news organizations reported a tentative agreement between GM and the United Auto Workers.

A tentative agreement between General Motors and its workers union could put an Eastern Panhandle facility back to work.

GM and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative deal on Monday to end a nearly six week strike that idled a distribution center in Martinsburg.

The GM deal is expected to be similar to ones reached with Ford and Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler.

About 100 employees in Martinsburg have been part of the strike for five weeks.

Workers at all three companies would have to ratify any agreement, which is expected to include a pay increase and more generous retirement contributions.

GM’s largest plant in North America, in Spring Hill, Tennessee, joined the strike on Saturday.

CWA Members Ratify New Contract

On Thursday, members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union in West Virginia and Ashburn, Virginia., voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new union contract with Frontier Communications.

On Thursday, members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union in West Virginia and Ashburn, Virginia voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new union contract with Frontier Communications.

A CWA press release stated “the four-year union contract achieves significant wage increases, preserves existing job security language, and maintains quality health and welfare benefits. In addition, Frontier has committed to creating additional jobs and a long-term work at home agreement.”

CWA and Frontier reached a tentative agreement for a four-year contract on August 26th, covering approximately 1,400 CWA-represented workers, most in West Virginia. The term of the agreement will be retroactive to Aug. 6, 2023 and will remain in effect until August 7, 2027.

Auto Workers Strike Expands To West Virginia GM Distribution Center

Workers at the General Motors distribution center in Martinsburg walked off the job on Friday.

They were among 38 GM and Stellantis distribution centers in 20 states that joined the United Auto Workers union’s strike at GM, Ford and Stellantis assembly plants.

Stellantis is the parent company of Chrysler. The Martinsburg center employs about 100 workers. Last week, 13,000 workers walked off the job. On Friday, 5,600 joined the effort.

The companies say they’ve laid off another 6,000 workers as a result of the shutdowns.

Among other changes, the UAW seeks a 36% increase in wages over four years. The union also wants a 32-hour workweek for 40 hours of pay and to restore traditional pension plans for newer workers.

The union cites record profits and executives making tens of millions of dollars in compensation. The companies say they face new costs in the transition from conventional cars and trucks to electric vehicles.

In a statement, GM spokeswoman Tara Stewart Kuhnen, called the move “unnecessary” and accused the UAW of manipulating the bargaining process.

Still, she said, the company “will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”

A Stellantis site in Winchester, Virginia, also joined the picket lines on Friday.

Legislature Begins Special Session And Making Crimes Stick, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Gov. Jim Justice called the legislature into special session Sunday afternoon, and News Director Eric Douglas speaks with WVU researchers about their work to analyze duct tape and make it even stronger evidence in court.

On this West Virginia Morning, Gov. Jim Justice called the legislature into special session Sunday afternoon to address the state’s corrections employment crisis, to help fund first responders and to clarify the vehicle tax rebate. Those are just 3 of 44 items on the governor’s call and Randy Yohe has our story.

News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Tatiana Trejos, an associate professor at the WVU Department of Forensic and investigative sciences to find out more about their work to analyze duct tape and make it even stronger evidence in court.

Also, Curtis Tate has the story of a transgender student in Harrison County that can continue to participate on her school’s track team after a federal court ruling, and Randy Yohe reports on a West Virginia communications workers union has agreed not to strike and continue contract negotiations.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Kroger Union Protests Outside Charleston Location

Kroger union workers protested Wednesday in opposition of a proposed merger that would make the grocery chain one of the largest in the country.

Kroger union workers protested Wednesday in opposition to a proposed merger that would make the grocery chain one of the largest in the country.

Members of the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 Union gathered outside of a West Charleston Kroger to protest the grocery chain’s merger with Albertsons Companies. A similar action took place in Clarksburg on Tuesday.

Steve Arthur made the trip from Beaver, where he is the head grocery clerk. Arthur said the merger would be bad for consumers and workers, stifling competition in the grocery industry.

“If you look around the Washington, D.C. area, or out into California, they are in close competition to each other,” Arthur said. “Therefore, if Kroger would close down one location, its going to put people out of work. Our wages go down, and we’re very concerned about that. It’s for the livelihood of the working American.”

Arthur, who said he has been working at Kroger for close to 50 years, said what’s most upsetting is the merger’s $24 billion price tag.

“That is a cash payment. That’s cash money, but yet they’re having a hard time paying us for vacations,” he said. “They’re having a hard time paying us for our hourly rate increases. That’s not right. And here they’re wanting to take over another company.”

The merger is currently being reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission.

Judy Turner, who works at the Kroger in Madison, said the union is asking shoppers to add their voices to the opposition.

“If those folks will just voice their opinions and get on the website and say, ‘Hey, let’s stop this merger because we don’t want higher prices, we don’t want job loss.’ And that’s the message we want to get across today.” she said.

Union Workers Ratify Contract, End Strike At W.Va. Hospital

Union maintenance and service workers at a West Virginia hospital ratified a contract Wednesday to end a month-old strike, the hospital announced.

Members of the Service Employees International Union District 119 ratified the three-year contract covering more than 900 workers at Cabell Huntington Hospital. The hospital said in a statement that employees could likely begin returning to work as soon as Friday.

The statement did not disclose details of the contract, which Dr. Kevin Yingling, the hospital’s president, called “fair and equitable.”

Under an earlier offer, the hospital had asked union members to begin paying health insurance premiums.

“We value all of our employees as each plays an important role in delivering reliable, quality care to our patients,” said hospital Chief Operating Officer Tim Martin. “We are committed to being the best employer in the region with outstanding wages and benefits and this contract confirms that. We look forward to welcoming back our coworkers and resuming normal operations.”