Labor
Virginia Democrats continue push to hike state minimum wage to $15
Legislation to raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026 is moving briskly through the Virginia General Assembly as Democrats take advantage of their narrow majorities in both chambers to complete an effort they began in 2020. “This is a simple bill,” said Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, who chairs the Senate Commerce […]
December jobs report: Wages up, hiring steady as job market ends year strong
Friday’s jobs data showed a strong, resilient U.S. labor market with wages outpacing inflation — welcome news for Americans hoping to have more purchasing power in 2024. The December jobs report unveiled another unemployment rate below 4%, as it has for two years, at 3.7%, the same as it was for November. The economy added […]
27 Charlottesville High teachers were absent from work after student violence. Was there a strike?
This story has been updated to include information later provided by Charlottesville Public Schools about numbers of teachers who called out after student violence and those who had previously scheduled an absence. On the Friday prior to Thanksgiving, 27 teachers at Charlottesville High School were absent from work following a series of violent student brawls. […]
Helping panhandlers involves more than just easing bans on begging
Alexandria’s City Council recently voted to repeal some restrictions on panhandling, noting the regulations violated federal court rulings involving free speech. Other localities around Virginia have taken similar actions over the past decade. The unanimous council vote in Alexandria, a city of 155,000, evinces compassion for people often struggling to find food, shelter – and […]
Health care workers in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. authorize strike against Kaiser Permanente
Some 3,800 union health care workers in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., are threatening to go on strike at the end of this month if the leadership at Kaiser Permanente and the union cannot agree to a new contract addressing staffing shortages and low pay for workers. According to a Monday statement from the Office […]
Millions more workers would receive overtime pay under proposed Biden administration rule
Salaried workers who have been ineligible for overtime pay would benefit from a proposed Biden administration regulation. The Department of Labor’s new rule would require employers to compensate full-time workers in management, administrative or other professional roles for any overtime worked if they make less than $55,068 annually. Currently, the salary threshold is $35,568. The […]
Labor market should be applauded, not lamented
Ever so slowly, people around Virginia and across America are going back to work. A constant trickle of laborers has returned to restaurants, retail outlets and offices since the worst of COVID-19 forced Americans to quit their jobs or work remotely. Businesses, chambers of commerce and lawmakers say the hoped-for flood of workers hasn’t reappeared […]
Pregnant workers have new protections. Here’s what to expect from your boss.
Almost two months after workplace accommodations for pregnant workers became law, the rules surrounding what employers can and cannot do have yet to be finalized — but that doesn’t mean the protections are not in place. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s proposed regulations are expected to offer more clarity once finalized, but workers can still […]
‘Who’s going to work there?’: Lawmakers grapple with labor shortages
INDIANAPOLIS — For years, Indiana’s GOP-controlled legislature has focused on creating a business-friendly climate by pushing favorable tax rates and regulations, aiming to foster the creation of good-paying jobs across the state. The way Republican state Sen. Michael Crider sees it, those moves have worked: Companies such as Amazon and Walmart have built new warehouses and […]
New Dept of Labor rule will increase construction worker wages, protections
Construction workers who work on federal projects are poised to receive better wages and worker protections under a Department of Labor rule touted by Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday. Speaking at a union hall in Philadelphia, Harris praised the Biden administration’s economic agenda and pointed out that the new rule would be the first […]
Va.’s disparities reflect why Aldean’s menacing ‘Small Town’ song flies in rural America
Country singer Jason Aldean has reaped a whirlwind of big-media scorn for his intemperate new hit titled “Try That in a Small Town.” As he should. The seething tone of the lyrics alone are an unvarnished and bellicose call for vigilantism by “good ol’ boys, raised up right” in towns and crossroads outside America’s cities […]
As employers expand artificial intelligence in hiring, few states have rules
As artificial intelligence finds its way into aspects of everyday life and becomes increasingly advanced, some state legislators feel a new urgency to create regulations for its use in the hiring process. Artificial intelligence, commonly known as AI, has been adopted by a quarter of businesses in the United States, according to the 2022 IBM Global AI […]