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Updated: West Virginia On the Verge of Becoming the Next Right to Work State


Back in December, I pointed readers to a recent development in West Virginia after Republicans in the state began to discuss whether to introduce right to work legislation.  (Will West Virginia become the Next Right to Work State?).  This came on the heels of a study that found several economic benefits associated with right to work laws which Republicans pointed to as evidence of why right to work legislation was needed in the state.  Unsurprisingly, several unions and their supporters spoke out against West Virginia becoming a right to work state and argued that the legislation would actually drive down wages and hinder economic development.  To support this argument, they pointed to the fact that since Oklahoma became a right to work state in 2001, the number of new companies moving into the state along with the manufacturing jobs in the state had fallen by a third. 

With that being said, in early January, the West Virginia Legislature began its annual 60 day legislative session.  Almost on cue, the first bill introduced was the one that intends to make West Virginia a right to work state.  As of now, the legislation has passed the Republican controlled Senate and is being considered in the Republican controlled House.  Assuming the legislation is approved in the House, it would go before the Governor for signature or veto.  Note, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (a Democrat), is expected to veto the legislation.  If that were to happen, this bill would go back to the West Virginia Legislature and only require a simple majority vote in both houses to override the veto.  In other words, a veto would likely only delay the inevitable. 

Stay tuned.  At this point, it appears to only be a matter of time before West Virginia becomes the 26th right to work state.

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