Posts tagged West Virginia
Cincinnati-Area Kroger Employee Wins Federal Case Against UFCW, Grocer for Illegal Union Dues Deductions
March 5, 2025 // – Kroger Grocery employee James Carroll has prevailed in his federal case against United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 75 union and corporate grocery conglomerate Kroger. The resolution comes after charges were filed against UFCW for threatening Carroll with termination for refusing to sign an illegal union dues deduction form and against Kroger for unlawfully deducting union dues from his paycheck. To avoid prosecution, Kroger and UFCW agreed to a settlement that requires them to reimburse Carroll for unlawfully seized dues and post a public notice informing employees of their rights. Carroll received free legal aid from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys.
Opinion: Mitch McConnell: Nippon Steel Isn’t the Enemy
January 10, 2025 // In Georgetown, Ky., hundreds of skilled workers build automotive parts at a facility owned by Nippon Steel. About 5 miles away, another Japanese firm, Toyota, employs nearly 10,000 people full-time at the company’s largest vehicle-manufacturing plant in the world. Toyota recently announced more than $2 billion in new investments to expand and modernize its facilities there. Japan likely wonders why the Biden administration considers a major investment in American jobs and manufacturing a national-security risk but not its purchase of cutting-edge American military technologies.
Federal judge blocks Biden labor protections for foreign farmworkers
November 27, 2024 // hose new rules, implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor in April, expanded protections for H-2A visa-holders, including requiring employers to ensure they would not intimidate, threaten or otherwise discriminate against foreign farmworkers for "activities related to self-organization" and "concerted activities for the purpose of mutual aide or protection relating to wages of working conditions." "In perhaps its most blatant arrogation of authority, the Final Rule seeks to extend numerous rights to H-2A workers which they did not previously enjoy through its worker voice and empowerment provisions," Judge Reeves wrote.
NC Farm Bureau sues US Dept of Labor
October 29, 2024 // “Our complaint is that the DOL doesn't have the authority to require collective bargaining or to provide collective bargaining and self-organization rights to workers; that's Congress' job,” said Jake Parker, general counsel for the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation.
10 States with the Largest Declines in Union Membership
August 26, 2024 // Daniel Li, CEO and Co-Founder of Plus Docs, commented on the findings: "It's interesting to see where states are seeing union memberships surge, especially as although there is a general increase in the South and Midwest, it is also true that neighboring states can see vastly different results. While Mississippi has nearly doubled its union membership, their neighbor, Alabama, has gone the opposite way."
Baristas at Flatwoods Starbucks seek unionization for second time after failed bid in 2023
July 11, 2024 // Following the failed election for the Flatwoods store last year, Tambellini said the union filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board. “Those charges were settled and now they’re trying for a second time,” Tambellini said. According to the NLRB, objections were filed by the union and workers seeking union recognition following the March vote. Those documents were not available to be viewed by publication time Tuesday.
Union reaches tentative contract at 38 Kroger stores in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio
March 11, 2024 // Bargainers for a union representing workers at 38 Kroger stores in West Virginia and two other states reached a tentative agreement with the grocery chain on a contract Thursday. The announcement came a week after members of the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 400 rejected a previous contract offer and voted to authorize a strike.
Workers at Randolph County flooring plant on strike after contract rejected
February 27, 2024 // A Sunday night news release from the company said a new tentative contract reached by the company and the bargaining unit of Teamsters Local 175 representing workers at the hardwood flooring plant had been reached but a “narrow plurality” of workers voted to reject the contract and go out on strike. The company said the “good-faith agreement would result in the largest economic package for workers in the history of the location.” The company said the plant would remain open.
Commentary: For Teachers’ Unions, Strikes Are the New Normal
February 19, 2024 // Meanwhile, students trapped in blue states – or blue cities – effectively run by teachers’ union political power, remained hostages to the demands of even more funding, hazard pay, increased “teacher work periods,” etc. In many cases, the demands even included political concessions like guaranteed housing and expanding Medicare for All. Don’t forget: Some teachers’ unions had to issue reminders for teachers not to post vacation pictures while the schools were closed. Because let’s call a spade a spade: The teachers’ unions used the COVID pandemic as history’s largest and longest strike, during which they tried to exact concessions they would have never achieved at a normal negotiating table.
Treplar is Creating 600 New Jobs in Right to Work West Virginia
September 21, 2023 // Treplar is establishing a new location soon in Right to Work Berkeley County, West Virginia. In order to make this possible, the company is investing a total of $50 million toward the project. That’s money that will go toward the economy, but that’s not the best part. They will also create 600 new jobs!