LABOR
Tyson still eligible for state incentives for Pittsylvania chicken plant despite Glen Allen closure
Tyson Foods will continue to be eligible for millions in state economic development grants linked to a facility it’s constructing in Pittsylvania County despite its announcement it will close a major plant in Hanover County that will lead to the loss of 692 jobs, said the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. In 2021, former Gov. Ralph […]
Virginia, West Va. Kroger employees allege computer-generated wage theft
Kroger employees in Virginia and West Virginia are pursuing a class-action suit against the grocery giant, alleging that bugs in the company’s new payroll software system cheat them out of their rightful wages. The class-action lawsuit filed in Richmond in January is one of four filed by employees in five states against the country’s largest […]
House panel narrowly backs legislation to lower the minimum wage for minors
Lawmakers narrowly backed a bill to lower the minimum wage for employees under the age of 18 Tuesday, with House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, joining with two Democrats to oppose it. The House Commerce and Energy subcommittee voted 4-3 to recommend approval of a bill from Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, that would require employers […]
In Virginia, ‘patchwork’ of ordinances makes public-sector organizing a maze
Jan. 17 is the date when Prince William County teachers and staff will begin voting on whether to join the growing number of public-sector workers who have maneuvered through Virginia’s maze of collective bargaining ordinances. Thirty-seven percent of U.S. workers employed by state and local governments belong to a union, compared to only 7% of […]
Child poverty rates highest in states that haven’t raised minimum wage
Of the 20 states that have failed to raise the minimum wage above the federal $7.25 an hour standard, 16 have more than 12% of their children living in poverty, according to a States Newsroom analysis of wage and poverty data. Anti-poverty advocates say that’s a sign that there’s an urgent need for lawmakers to […]
U.S. House to intervene in rail workers strike, heeding Biden call
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday said the House will take up legislation to ratify an agreement between rail workers and operators in order to avert a nationwide rail strike. “This week, the House will take up a bill adopting the Tentative Agreement — with no poison pills or changes to the […]
Labor organizers push for stronger collective bargaining in Prince William
Prince William County is the last big Northern Virginia jurisdiction to consider granting collective bargaining rights to public employees, but labor organizers say the county’s draft plan is so filled with holes they have major doubts about whether they can support it. In a strongly worded letter to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors […]
Millions of workers are dealing with long COVID. Advocates call for expanding social safety net.
Emily Withnall caught COVID-19 from her teenager in July 2020. In the more than two years since, the 40-year-old has suffered from debilitating fatigue, spinal pain and heart palpitations. In addition to her primary care doctor, she regularly sees a cardiologist and says her acupuncturist and craniosacral therapy help relieve her pain and the trouble […]
America is in the middle of a labor mobilization moment
By John Logan Labor Day 2022 comes smack bang in the middle of what is increasingly looking like a pivotal year in the history of American unions. The summer has seen a steady stream of workforce mobilizations. Employees at Trader Joe’s locations in Massachusetts and Minneapolis both voted to unionize. Meanwhile, restaurant chain Chipotle saw […]
Report: Virginia rarely helps workers collect unpaid wages from deadbeat employers
Ronaldo Gonzalez Vasquez says his employer owed him two weeks of pay when his once-reliable boss stopped responding to phone calls and text messages. So the 21-year-old construction worker who had been building offices in Tyson’s Corner and McLean turned to the state for help, filling out an unpaid wage claim with the Department of […]