Lawmakers vote to make W. Virginia right-to-work state

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Lawmakers vote to make W. Virginia right-to-work state

Jonathan Mattise, Associated Press

Updated 3:38 pm, Friday, February 12, 2016

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia, a suffering coal mining state shaped by the sometimes-bloody history of its organized labor, is set to become the 26th state with a so-called right-to-work law.

In House and Senate party-line votes Friday, lawmakers rebuked a veto Thursday by Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. The move will solidify a law that proponents say will draw in business and give workers more freedom over their ties to unions, but which opponents say is solely meant to undercut unions. The law becomes effective July 1.

Along similar partisan lines Friday, the Legislature dealt another blow to unions by overriding a second Tomblin veto, of a law that will eliminate the state's prevailing wage on public construction projects. The law becomes effective in May.

Both the right-to-work and prevailing-wage-repeal proposals drew thousands of protesting union workers to the Capitol over the past month. Both also snagged a handful of 'no' votes from House Republicans.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Lawmakers-override-veto-will-make-W-Va-6826520.php

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[center]

Republican W. Virginia Senate President Bill Cole [/center]

[saturnsring]

1. i dont get states that put cons in their congress and then put a dem in the gov seat

[branford]

8. To many it's a form of checks and balances.

They don't trust D's or R's, or their politics don't neatly fall into either party (e.g., pro-union and socially conservative)

[Aristus]

2. Zero out of ten to the people of West Virginia for voting in favor of the dickbaggery they're going

to be facing from now on.

Things there weren't bad enough, you had to disempower the unions who were looking out for you?



See what a lack of education will get for you?...

Vote smart for a change...

[Judi Lynn]

3. What a shame the very state where the Coal Mine Wars were fought, Matewan Massacre,

the Battle of Blair Mountain, all the incredible suffering by the miners, helpless in the hands of the mine owners and their thugs, and detectives, and gunmen, all the struggles, the desperate poverty, the murders, and it ALL gets handed back to the monsters all over again, as if these poor, poor people had never been born, had never worked and died in the mines, died in the struggles, after lifetimes of misery, always unable to climb out of the deep hole that kind of poverty creates for those unlucky enough to have been born when and where they were.

Hideous. Grotesque. Nothing laughable about it, no way any of it can be used for a quick joke. Desperately sad.

Meanwhile, the predators in that state sail along, paying off their fat politicians to keep things just the way they like it.

[mrmpa]

4. The per capita income in WVA is...........

a bit over $22,000 a year, it is ranked 47 in per capita income of all the 50 states. There is a population of 1.855 million and the #1 employer in WVA is Walmart.

How much further down the list does WVA want to go, oh that's right they're going for number 50 in per capita income, the legislature thinks #50 is the new #1 position.

[elmac]

5. I thought they already had the right to work for less

[turbinetree]

6. Lets see last year there government had a water problem...........sound familiar.................

because they weakened or just plain didn't enforce the water rules--------------

Then to top it all off they had a judge doing what with one of the scab business leaders in the mining industry, who killed people because he said to hell with coal mine safety

Then, they the coal companies eviscerate the mountains and put all of the sludge in valleys to pollute more water--------------great priorities there Cole

And, then if these so called right to work for less legislators where to compare ------------I don't know-------- Minnesota and Wisconsin just for example, in the last six years of twinkle toes corrupt Scott Walker and his attack on public employees and basically everything else that is tied to the state and the citizens, just so that he could get right to work, they will see what is going on---------------but nope they just don't care---------------its about the payoffs.

Here is a oldie but goodie of Walker:

Here, let me enlighten this tin foil hat Mr. Cole------------------------Minnesota is doing more for the citizens of the state and they are making more and enjoying a better life and they are creating more JOBS.

But then in good old Wisconsin, you know that scab loving corrupt legislature and Governor and courts, IT is LOSING JOBS to MINNESOTA--------------that is a simple fact----------------why might you ask, the prevailing wage, and the money from the prevailing wage is tied to the contracts of the state being UNIONIZED and the contractors are making more off the bids and getting a lot more for the money, so are the citizens ( its called, if the citizens make more, they spend more Economic 101)---------------go to the state of Minnesota and see the roads, and then go to Wisconsin and see the roads-------------------big difference and I mean big difference---------------its called investment in infrastructure at the prevailing wage scale

How much does this Bill Cole make in wages? If he is so concerned about government workers making to much then he should work for free, since he is asking the state employees to take a pay cut------------then him toooo.

And how many days of the year does he work in the Legislature trying to figure out how to screw people? Sixty days or more

And who beside the coal industry is giving him money?

How much and did this hypocrite go to any ALEC sponsored meetings to do ALEC'S dirty work? Or the Club for Growth for that matter?

And lets not forget what Right to Work for less really is:

http://www.southernstudies.org/2012/12/the-racist-roots-of-right-to-work-laws.html

In closing Mr. Cole you condone a plan that has roots of economic racism, how do you sleep at night?




Honk----------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

It is about getting a Progressive President, U.S. Supreme Court, Congress and State and Local Legislatures

Democracy begins with you-----------------------tag your it

Democracy is not a spectator sport--------------get involved

[hollowdweller]

7. My Grandfather was a republican, a union organizer and the mayor of Nitro WV

He grew up poor and didn't like welfare or anything but growing up in poverty during the depression he supported people being able to collectively bargain.

He died in the 60's I think he must have rolled over in his grave when Reagan broke the air traffic controllers.

It's hard to understand how a state where people were actually killed trying to get the union in voted in these guys who are right to work.

It's hard to understand how in a state where the average salary is so low they would pass bills that would lower it.

Part of it is the whole coal thing. Part of it is gun control pushed by the democratic party. Part racisim. Sadly part the fact that the unions have not pushed for enough stuff either and cozied up with the political establishment that is in the pocket of corporate interests.

The construction workers have been in the state house but the GOP has actually insulted them. I bet 90% of them voted GOP because they never thought this would happen.

The GOP hasn't held the legislature in 80 years till now. I'll be interested to see if they lose the next time. There's some pissed off people.

Now would be a great time for Bernie or Hillary to visit and decry this.

[valerief]

9. Chip, chip, chip... Even a woodpecker can eventually fell a mighty oak.

The birds are busy.

[Omaha Steve]

10. I knew it was coming

[olddots]

11. now lets be pragmaic and not let our ideals interfere with progress .

The American experiment is dying .

[Marthe48]

12. What a shame

We live right across the river from WV. My husband was born and lived in WV till he was 12. His relatives did ok, because they were union. The only way humans can beat corporations is to join together. Corporations are powerful because they are big. They are so big, they crush the life out of individuals, out of small business, out of small towns. The corporations and fat cats know how dangerous the power of unions are, and have been fighting them since the 1930's. WV isn't the only state where people died trying to organize--the U.S. government sent troops to Cleveland, Oh and the army fired on union organizers and injured or killed people. My mother had a foster brother who lost a finger during one of these 'government by corporations' battles. The only way corporations can get bigger and bigger is to crush all opposition, all competition. The heck with too big to fail--they are getting too big to stop.

I hope the unions can afford to take this to court and keep fighting it.