Recent Press

Amid discussion of national debt, taxation and job funding, the West Virginia AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) is speaking out about the impending loss of unemployment insurance benefits.

Unless Congress passes an unemployment benefits extension before Jan. 1, many West Virginia families will lose their only sort of income.

West Virginia organized labor created a new independent fundraising arm in an attempt to fight the flow of outside money affecting federal elections in the state.

The West Virginia AFL-CIO created the new federal political action committee "Honest West Virginians" in late June, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission. The group of labor unions and other affiliated organizations felt it had no choices in creating the PAC, said AFL-CIO treasurer Josh Sword.

Charleston, W.Va. - At their annual convention, which ended thursday, West Virginia AFL-CIO delegates re-elected Kenneth Perdue as president and elected Josh Sword as secretary-treasurer, both for four years.

Perdue, a sheet metal worker, was elected to his third term. Sword, a former political director for the American Federation of Teachers in West Virginia, was appointed as secretary-treasurer earlier this year. Both were elected by acclamation.

Charleston, W.Va. - Across the country and here in West Virginia, thousands of people turned out over the weekend in support of Wisconsin public employees. Minority Democrats in the state Senate there are trying to stop a bill that already passed the Assembly and would take away most collective bargaining rights. Union officials here say that bill is part of an ugly pattern.

West Virginia AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue says that the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and the economic problems that started on Wall Street make it easy for some people to demonize the unions.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Organized labor will pay tribute to retiring U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller Friday. The West Virginia AFL-CIO will present Rockefeller with a Lifetime Achievement award during a special convention to prepare for election season.

“We’ve been fortunate to have had friends like Senator Rockefeller,” said West Virginia AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue. “He’s given so much, not only to labor, but to the state of West Virginia we just want to say,’Thank-you.'”