Recent Press
- Ceremony Sunday to honor WV workers who died on the job
- Statement from WV AFL-CIO President Josh Sword regarding Senate Bill 841
- A statement regarding Senate Bill 841 to cut unemployment benefits
- Cutting Earned Unemployment Benefits is Wrong
- WV AFL-CIO devastated at sudden passing of former President Kenneth Perdue
- A statement from West Virginia AFL-CIO President Josh Sword regarding Senator Joe Manchin’s decision to not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate
- Join a Labor Day Celebration!
- Ceremony Friday to honor WV workers who died on the job
- Teamster Members Unanimously Authorize Strike At Coke
- The PEIA Cost Shifting Bill (aka SB 268)
- Public Employee Representatives to Discuss Sweeping PEIA Legislation
- Union leaders’ statement on Senate PEIA bill
- Workers Will Rally for Fair Treatment at Italian Opera-Themed Tecnocap Celebration
- A celebration of former WV AFL-CIO President Jim Bowen's life Sunday
- A statement from Mike Caputo regarding the passing of Jim Bowen
- Former WV AFL-CIO President Jim Bowen Passes Away
- This Labor Day weekend, celebrate the momentum of working people
- A statement from West Virginia AFL-CIO President Josh Sword regarding the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
- Ceremony Thursday to honor WV workers who died on the job
- 2022 AFL-CIO Convention - In Memoriam
- IUPAT DC 53 HOLDING PROTEST MONDAY
- WV AFL-CIO Holds 30th Constitutional Convention
- United Food Operation Food Drive Kickoff Friday
- A statement from West Virginia AFL-CIO President Josh Sword on Senator Joe Manchin’s position on the Build Back Better Act
- IUPAT DC 53 Hosting Open House for National Apprenticeship Week
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WHERE’S THE TAXES?
Painters District Council 53 is holding a protest against Seminole Equipment and the WV Department of Highways on Thursday September 28, near 3222 Kanawha Turnpike, South Charleston (intersection of Hwy 60 & CR-12). The protest will be from 11:30 to 1:00pm.
Seminole Equipment from Tarpon Springs, Florida was recently awarded a $1.25 million bridge painting project in South Charleston.
Painters District Council 53 was able to obtain copies of project payroll records and believe they show no state income taxes were withheld.
“Upon further review we believe Seminole Equipment has received 97 payments from the State of West Virginia since 2006. Those payments total almost $10.75 million,” said Painters District Council 53 Secretary-Treasurer Dan Poling. “We were able to obtain many of these payroll records and believe no state income taxes were withheld on any project during the past 11 years. We estimate the loss to WV taxpayers exceeds $250,000.”
Seminole has recently been awarded an $8.5 million project in Raleigh County and is the apparent low bidder for a project in Wetzel County in excess of $6 million.
“To make matters worse Seminole imports labor from out of the area,” Poling said. “DOH has dropped the ball! We have alerted them to the problem but have heard little back. We want the State of West Virginia to make Seminole Equipment pay their taxes. It’s not fair to the West Virginia residents and businesses that do pay taxes.”
Painters District Council 53 Charleston, WV
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The following is a statement from West Virginia AFL-CIO President Josh Sword on the state Supreme Court’s decision regarding the preliminary injunction on Senate Bill 1, so-called “Right to Work.”
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling pertains solely to the preliminary injunction issued by Kanawha Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey that postponed enactment of the Right to Work law while she considers her final ruling.
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In a hearing today before the West Virginia Supreme Court, attorneys representing the West Virginia AFL-CIO, the West Virginia State Building Trades and several others argued that the justices should allow Kanawha Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey the time she needs to rule on the unions’ lawsuit challenging the state’s so-called “Right to Work” law.
At issue before the state Supreme Court today was state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s request to overturn Judge Bailey’s preliminary injunction blocking enactment of the “Right to Work” law.
Citing the potential harm and uncertainty created by the 2016 law, Judge Bailey issued the temporary injunction while she considers her final ruling.
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While a national poll this week showed labor union approval in the United States is the best it’s been in nearly 15 years, the West Virginia AFL-CIO is grateful that West Virginians as a whole have consistently been even more supportive of unions and appreciative of the achievements of working people.
“The kind, generous working families of this state are what makes West Virginia a truly wonderful place to live,” WV AFL-CIO President Josh Sword said. “This Labor Day weekend, we look forward to joining together in celebration of the people who form the bedrock of our state and country, and the unions that fight for them.”
A Gallup poll released this week found public support for labor unions is the highest it’s been since 2003, at 61 percent. Locally, another poll conducted in 2016 by Public Policy Polling showed unions to be “wildly popular” in West Virginia, with a favorability of 69 percent, and that a large majority said West Virginia would be worse off with lower union membership.
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The West Virginia AFL-CIO has a rich history of supporting candidates for public office who stand for fair wages, good benefits and a safe workplace, regardless of party affiliation.
After last year’s gubernatorial primary, the WV AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education endorsed Jim Justice because he committed to support our position on issues that are important to West Virginia working families, not because of his party affiliation.
As a sign of that commitment, Governor Justice recently vetoed multiple bills that were part of the Republican legislative leadership’s damaging agenda aimed at hurting working families to the benefit of wealthy corporate interests.
Governor Justice’s decision to switch political parties is unnerving. But given his vow to only pursue legislation that helps working families succeed, we are hopeful that he will use his position as the most powerful Republican state official to steer the Republican legislative leadership away from its current War on Working Families.
We will be requesting a meeting with Governor Justice ASAP to confirm that he still stands by his commitment to support working families.
Until that confirmation, we defer making any further statements on this matter.