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Tag: prevailing wage law

Restoring Fairness

Restoring Fairness

Fairness is a core principle for any true-blue West Virginian. Fair pay for a good day’s work, a fair shot at a good job, and fair treatment in the workplace. Fairness is a value we cherish, and for many years a law known as Prevailing Wage ensured fairness for all Mountaineers. Then in 2016, without proper study, our short-sighted legislative leadership repealed prevailing wage, and thousands ... Continue Reading »

Want To Fix Potholes? Start With A Living Wage For West Virginia Families.

If you ask a West Virginian what they’d change about our state, there’s a high chance you would hear about potholes, crumbling roads, or poor internet connection.

They’re common complaints among many who live in the Wild and Wonderful. And they’re partially to blame for our population declining as young adults seek less complicated, more lucrative areas of the country to put down roots. ... Continue Reading »

Federal Infrastructure Dollars Headed For West Virginia – Let’s Spend Wisely.

The word “infrastructure” is much in the news these days. The Biden administration has proposed a roughly $2 trillion plan for improving the nation’s infrastructure, in what is being called a “once-in-a-generation investment” in the United States. The plan would directly benefit West Virginia workers and mean more jobs for you, your friends, and the people in your community. Photo by Indira Tjokorda on Unsplash Some want a cheaper, scaled-down ... Continue Reading »

West Virginia’s Infrastructure Opportunity

Behind every great product or successful business is a solid foundation–a set of systems that ensures things run as smoothly as possible, much like infrastructure. A great restaurant, for example, may be a simple experience for a patron–book a reservation, arrive, dine, pay and leave. As you sit and enjoy your meal, unbeknownst to you (if you have never worked in the service industry), there is a well-oiled ... 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 »

Apprenticeship Training

A Debt-Free Alternative to a Four-Year College

News reports are full of stories about young people burdened with crushing student loan debt. Celebrities are in trouble for their attempts to bribe college officials to admit their offspring to high-profile schools. Colleges are cutting programs to make ends meet, and many alumni are questioning the return on their hefty college investment. Amid all this bad news, many are overlooking ... Continue Reading »

Rural Hospitals Are in Crisis!

You Can Be Part of the Solution

As of January 1, 2020, the rural hospital closure crisis has claimed 120 facilities across the nation over the past 10 years, according to a recent study released by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. Unfortunately, rural hospital closures are becoming increasingly common with 19 closures in 2019 alone. There are currently 1,844 rural hospitals in the U.S., so the closure of 120 of them over 10 years means ... Continue Reading »

Community Colleges and The Workforce Sustain Each Other

One Size Does Not Fit All

Community Colleges Offer Educational Options

The traditional four-year college experience isn’t for everyone. Some students aren’t yet set on a course of study, while others are looking for a more affordable education. Some choose career paths that require only a two-year degree, while others may choose to step right into the working world. Still others may use their ... 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 »