West Virginia House Committee Approves Right to Work

The West Virginia House Judiciary Committee has approved Right to Work.  After hearing testimony from NRTWC VP Greg Mourad and others, Committee members conferred and voted to approve the state’s Right to Work Legislation which now head to the full House for three readings and likely final passage.  Eventually, an approved Right to Work bill must be sent to WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin for his signature or veto.

From West Virginia’s Public Broadcasting:

Right-to-Work Approved by House Committee

The West Virginia House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Friday that would make West Virginia a right-to-work state.

The committee began debating Senate Bill 1 Friday morning and continued the discussion into the afternoon lasting more than 6 hours.

Essentially, the bill would make it illegal to fire a person who refuses to join a union or refuses to pay union dues or fees. Supporters say it protects the rights of workers who disagree with unions politically.

Both sides have argued their points loudly this legislative session, but House Speaker Tim Armstead said that with one of the lowest workforce participation rates of any state in the nation, it’s time for West Virginia to try something new.