Posts tagged West Virginia
Opinion: Mitch Carmichael: The 120-day clock that could rewrite your job
October 19, 2026 // The FLCA would set a timetable for negotiating a first contract after a union is newly certified or recognized. The parties would meet and begin bargaining within 10 days after the employer receives a written request. If they have no agreement after 90 days of bargaining, either party could request federal mediation. If mediation fails after another 30 days, the dispute will go to a three-person, federal-government arbitration panel. The panel’s decision would bind both sides for two years unless they agree in writing to amend it. That means a government panel, potentially unfamiliar with a particular West Virginia workplace, could decide matters as consequential as schedules, time off, health benefits and work rules. Unions and employers would have opportunities to present their positions, but neither would have the final say over terms imposed through arbitration. Nor would workers have an opportunity to ratify the final contract
Business costs are increasing, and unions are not helping. Here’s what employers need to know.
October 13, 2026 // Business expenses are rising, and while unions have historically improved wages and working conditions, increased unionization has added further challenges to controlling business costs. Union membership hit a 16-year high in 2025, driven largely by growing interest among younger and minority workers, and continued growth could increase the costs of goods and services we frequently use. Businesses offering a safe and productive working environment, along with competitive pay structures, will reduce the need for organized labor and its associated costs.
Op-ed: The 120-day clock that could rewrite your job
October 6, 2026 // Workers and employers must remain free and able to bargain for the terms each desire. No free country should dictate to a worker or an employer the terms of a private labor contract The Faster Labor Contracts Act would set a timetable for negotiating a first contract after a union is newly certified or recognized. The parties would meet and begin bargaining within 10 days after the employer receives a written request. If they have no agreement after 90 days of bargaining, either party could request federal mediation.
ALEC Releases 4th Edition of “States That Work” Labor Policy Rankings
September 14, 2026 // “States That Work shows that the states giving workers the greatest freedom to earn a living are also creating an environment where businesses and families can thrive,” said report author and ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Director Alan Jernigan. “From protecting Right to Work to removing unnecessary licensing barriers, states have a clear roadmap for expanding opportunity without growing government.”
Report: The Battle for Worker Freedom: Grading State Public Sector Labor Laws
September 10, 2026 // Union executives are prioritizing recruitment. The fastest-growing category of public sector labor legislation expands collective bargaining into new workplaces. On the strength of these new laws, union executives are slowly replacing their membership losses since 2018. From 2018 to 2025, the country’s four largest government unions report a net decline in membership of 87,919, or 1.3 percent. However, they also report a collective gain of 232,502 members, or 3.5 percent since 2024. This report awards full letter-grade increases to Idaho (now A) and Louisiana (now B) due to their adoption of pro-worker labor reforms this past legislative session. However, the drops in grades—Nebraska (D), Nevada (D), and Rhode Island (F)—are the result of these states prioritizing union executives over workers and enacting laws helping unions recruit, politick, organize, and strike. Thirteen states now have an “A” or “A+” grade—up from twelve in the previous edition of this report—while six states earned an “F”—up from five over the same time period. Overall, the research finds 25 states fall below a “C.”
Beverage Market strike nears 100 days as workers seek better pay and benefits
August 19, 2026 // Union representatives allege there have been confrontations involving people working at the business and those on the picket line. According to representatives, one striking worker was struck by a vehicle and another was shoved. The circumstances surrounding those incidents and whether any charges were filed could not immediately be independently verified.
Socialists Push ‘Rank-and-File’ Plan to Steer US Labor Unions
August 18, 2026 // From 2018 to 2021, the Young Democratic Socialists of America, DSA's campus wing, adopted what it calls the "rank-and-file strategy" as a national priority, urging members to take jobs in what YDSA called strategic sectors: education, healthcare, and logistics. The Democratic Socialist Labor Commission, DSA's internal labor arm, published a pamphlet describing the approach as a way to rebuild "a militant, left-wing, and democratic labor movement."
Op-ed: Faster Labor Contracts Act is bad for workers, good for union bosses
August 6, 2026 // Under current law, when workers vote to form a union, the employer and union negotiate a first contract through free collective bargaining. The FLCA inserts unrealistic Washington timelines and bureaucracy into this process. The bill passed the House after seven Republicans signed a discharge petition to bypass the Speaker and committee review to force a floor vote, all with no committee hearing, no CBO score, and no expert testimony. The bill is now before the Senate.
Beckley beverage delivery strike continues without agreement
July 26, 2026 // The Washington, D.C.-based Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent federal agency that assists unions and employers in resolving labor disputes, provided the mediator. However, the agency lacks the authority to force either party to accept an agreement. Farley said the mediator separated the parties and explored possible compromises during an eight-hour session that ran from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Beckley feels impact of stale contract negotiations with beer distributor
July 4, 2026 // Ian Moore, union steward, said he believes Johnson’s true objective is to bust the union. Moore said the company is also trying to eliminate jobs by eliminating helpers who assist drivers on delivery routes and are paid by commission. The rule changes would turn the position into an hourly one and eliminate the 40-hour guarantee at the same time. Johnson said the company is using management, sales staff and mechanics to run the product delivery routes right now. “She [Johnson] paid for them to get their Commercial Driver’s License, so that’s who’s pretty much driving right now,” Moore said.