Tag: West Virginia Division of Labor

Mitch Woodrum Named West Virginia Labor Commissioner

Mitch Woodrum has been appointed as West Virginia’s labor commissioner.

Gov. Jim Justice announced Woodrum’s appointment Wednesday.

Woodrum had been serving as acting commissioner since August after David Mullins resigned.

Woodrum has been with the Division of Labor in a variety of roles for 24 years, including director of manufactured housing, director of licensing, deputy commissioner and acting commissioner.

The division is part of the Department of Commerce. It oversees licensing and inspecting of businesses operating in West Virginia and enforces labor laws and workplace safety regulations.

State Names Acting Labor Commissioner

A longtime director in West Virginia’s Division of Labor has been named its acting commissioner.

Mitch Woodrum’s appointment follows the retirement of former Commissioner John Junkins.

The division is part of the Department of Commerce. It oversees licensing and inspecting of businesses operating in West Virginia and enforces labor laws and workplace safety regulations.

A 24-year employee of the division, in 2002 Woodrum was named director of the manufactured housing program. He was appointed director of licensing in 2007 and has been as deputy commissioner since 2014.

Gubernatorial Candidate Furious Over Privacy Breach

A Bluefield auto dealership owned by Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Cole has asked Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s office to investigate a state agency’s recent release of the names, salaries and social security numbers of more than 200 employees who work for Cole.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that the state Division of Labor’s released the employees’ confidential information last month, in response to a request from the newspaper for a story about wage complaints filed against businesses owned by candidates for governor in West Virginia.

Cole Automotive Group General Manager Ralph Vines says the agency was reckless to have released the information.

Governor’s office spokeswoman Diane Holley-Brown says state officials have apologized to Cole.

The labor division has also reported the incident to the State Privacy Office and Bureau of Risk and Insurance Management.

Changes to West Virginia Prevailing Wage Take Effect Monday

A law changing West Virginia’s prevailing wage for construction projects is taking effect.

The law that rolls back parts of the state prevailing wage became effective Monday.

With the changes, the prevailing wage no longer applies to projects using $500,000 or less in public money.

Other requirements in the law aren’t as immediate.

The law removes the wage’s calculation from the state Division of Labor. Workforce West Virginia and West Virginia University and Marshall University economists will help calculate it.

There won’t be a prevailing wage if it’s not calculated by July, or Sept. 30, if the deadline is extended.

Lawmakers can approve the methodology.

W.Va. Agency Withdraws Proposed Minimum Wage Rules

  Opposition from the business community has prompted the West Virginia Division of Labor to withdraw proposed emergency wage rules.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports that acting Labor Commissioner John Junkins cited employers’ concerns in a recent letter to Secretary of State Natalie Tennant asking to withdraw the rules.

The rules were related to the state’s new minimum wage law, which goes into effect Thursday.

West Virginia Chamber of Commerce President Steve Roberts tells the newspaper that the rules went beyond the law’s scope and conflicted with federal law.

Roberts also says employers wouldn’t have time to comply with the rules.

The law raises the $7.25 hourly minimum wage by 75 cents a year in January and by another 75 cents in January 2016.

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