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Category: Jobs

Congressman David McKinley: “The repeal of prevailing wage rate was based on erroneous studies.”

Transcript

“The repeal of the prevailing wage rate was based on some erroneous studies, I believe. “The idea was sold…we’re going to be able to get five schools for the price of three. That simply hasn’t happened. “People in government make mistakes all the time. The strength is recognizing that after a few years, this didn’t work. We better revisit it and correct it, ... Continue Reading »

Congressman David McKinley: “Out of town contractors don’t benefit this community.”

Transcript

“Out-of-town contractors don’t benefit this community, don’t pay into the local tax base. They go home when their project’s finished. “I want you to imagine work being done by local people depositing money in the local banks. That money stays here. It doesn’t go to Columbus, Houston, Guatemala, “The sooner we can restore prevailing wage rate across West Virginia I think the better ... Continue Reading »

Congressman David McKinley: “I always used Prevailing Wage rate because I wanted skilled labor.”

Transcript

“The prevailing wage was set up years ago. I think it was the 30’s or the 40’s and what they were trying to do was establish a fair wage based on the average wage paid to people in certain classifications, whether a carpenter, electrician, a plumber, or a laborer. So they’re trying to establish something that was fair. “I always used prevailing wage rate because I ... Continue Reading »

The Step up for women program is helping to close the gender gap

In West Virginia, good-paying jobs are not plentiful. Add the gender wage gap that still exists for women overall, and the job market can look bleak for women in the Mountain State. The Step Up for Women Program from West Virginia’s Women Work organization aims to change that. Over this 12-week training course women learn the construction basics. And many SUFW program graduates continue their instruction through skilled construction ... Continue Reading »

Wage Stagnation in Nine Charts

West Virginia is going in the wrong direction like much of the country regarding wages and benefits. Our leaders need to value jobs that bring higher wages and good healthcare. Minimum wage jobs that don’t lift families out of poverty are not the solution. We need an economy that supports West Virginians who don’t just want to live in the Mountain State, but thrive. Learn more about wage ... Continue Reading »

Raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 will restore bargaining power to workers and support the pandemic recovery

WAGES HAVE BEEN STAGNANT FOR A DECADE Congress has failed for more than a decade to raise the federal minimum wage. While there have been some wage increases at the state and local level, the current federal minimum wage stands at $7.25. WORKER WAGES REMAIN AT 1963 LEVELS WHEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION In 1963, back when John Kennedy was president, the applicable minimum wage varied by industry between $1.00 and $1.25 per hour, and there ... Continue Reading »

Mountaineers Are Always Free

…or are they?

We all love and appreciate the natural beauty of West Virginia – especially our majestic mountains. We call ourselves the Mountain State. We sing about our West Virginia Hills and our Mountain Mama. We proclaim that Mountaineers Are Always Free. On the flip side, our mountains often present us with challenges. Sometimes getting from here to there can be difficult – especially in bad weather. We may ... Continue Reading »

How to Restore West Virginia’s Roads and Infrastructure

It All Starts with You

In the United States, 65% of our cities have either delayed or canceled improvements to their roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, electrical grids and other desperately needed infrastructure.  Few have the funds to provide for the preventative maintenance these systems require, yet alone plan for improvements. The problem is becoming more and more apparent.  Our states, cities and small towns are struggling to ... Continue Reading »

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Restoring the Place We Belong

These lyrics made West Virginia famous around the world for its beauty and hospitality, but especially for our amazing country roads. And for decades, our beloved state really did have wonderful and well-maintained roads and highways that afforded citizens and visitors alike the opportunity to experience our beautiful state.  But now, in 2020, our roads and bridges are deteriorating. Our state is having a ... Continue Reading »

A West Virginia Wish List

What Would You Wish For?

We’ve all shopped online, so we are all familiar with what many web sites call a Wish List. It’s where we save the items we plan to purchase at a later date. We’d love to have that fancy barbecue grill or cutting-edge appliance but we can’t afford it right now. So, we save it to our wish list. Each ... Continue Reading »