CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A new report on income growth shows West Virginians have seen theirs expand by 13 percent since 1979, but more than half of it went to the very wealthiest.

The report by the Economic Policy Institute found that when the statistics are examined by income level, the top 1 percent took more than 50 percent of the increase.

Mark Price, the report’s co-author, points to a stagnant minimum wage as one reason workers haven't shared in the prosperity, even though more money than ever is being made and worker productivity is at its highest levels.

"The bottom line is that if they're not taking it home in their paychecks, a lot of it's flowing up to the very highest-income folks," he says.

West Virginia lawmakers appear likely to raise the state minimum wage to $8.75 an hour. There is a national movement to raise it to $10.10.

According to Sean O'Leary, a policy analyst with the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, the inequality here has been part of a national pattern.

"In the past 30-odd years, every state has seen their richest citizens take a larger share of the total state income,” he says. “And that's true in West Virginia, and that's true in all states across the country. "

O'Leary points out the same things have contributed to income inequality in West Virginia as have helped cause it across the country – a stalled the minimum wage and weak unions.

"We haven't raised our minimum wage above the federal minimum,” he says. “We've seen a steep decline in unionization.

“We have the lowest number of workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement in the past 40, 50 years."





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Airport service workers rallied in Washington, D.C., Thursday to demand Congress pass legislation ensuring they receive a livable wage with stronger benefits.

The Good Jobs for Good Airports Act would set national wage and benefit standards, including guaranteed sick days, for service workers at any airport receiving federal funding.

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., told the crowd airport service workers showed up throughout the pandemic, and are long overdue for a raise.

"Just as airplanes don't fly without pilots, our aviation system at airports would crash without airport service workers," Markey stated.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, 2.5 million people passed through America's airports the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the highest single-day figure since the start of the pandemic.

Studies have shown fairly compensating airport service workers with a living wage and benefits improves airport services by lowering turnover and ensuring airports have an experienced workforce to respond to emergencies.

Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García, D-Ill., said the federal legislation would greatly benefit a largely Latino, Black and immigrant workforce.

"Working people are the engines of our economy," García asserted. "They're rising up to demand dignity and compensation that they deserve for their labor."

Garcia pointed out workers in airports have faced worsening conditions for years, as the airline industry has steadily cut benefits for wheelchair attendants, baggage handlers and caterers.

Members of the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ rallied at more than 15 airports across the country Thursday in support of the legislation, and some non-unionized service workers at Boston's Logan International Airport held a one-day strike over alleged wage theft and unfair labor practices.

Some service workers at Logan International Airport went on strike today to protest alleged unfair labor practices.

The non-union airplane cabin cleaners and ramp workers have filed five Unfair Labor Practice charges with the Massachusetts Attorney General's office against employer Swissport USA, alleging wage theft and vacation-hours violations.

Amanda Torres-Price, deputy communications director for Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, said workers deserve to be paid the money they have earned.

"They are often working short-staffed, and it makes it really hard for them to do their jobs effectively and on time," Torres-Price pointed out. "Which could potentially impact how planes are running."

The National Labor Relations Board is also investigating whether a Swissport USA manager threatened to fire workers engaged in legally protected union activity. The strike is expected to last less than 24 hours.

The walkout at Logan Airport coincides with actions by unionized airport workers across the country. Service workers at more than 15 airports will hold rallies today to demand their members of Congress pass the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act sponsored by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

Torres-Price added workers risked their health and the health of their families to keep airports operating throughout the pandemic, and they deserve better.

"This is an act that would ensure airport service workers have a living wage, benefits and health care," Torres-Price stressed.

The bill ensures a minimum wage of $15 per hour for service workers who clean planes, handle baggage and assist wheelchair passengers. Today's events follow months of increasingly challenging conditions for these workers as high job turnover has led to flight delays as well as unruly, sometimes violent passengers.

The rallies are planned at airports controlling 45% of all U.S. domestic air travel and 65% of all U.S. travel through major transit hubs.

Leaders of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee want to change the narrative about agriculture in America.

FLOC members who gathered in Toledo, Ohio, for FLOC's 14th quadrennial constitutional convention voted to re-elect President Baldemar Velasquez to a 14th term.

Nearly 200 delegates attended, and seasonal farm workers from North Carolina represented the largest contingent with 83 delegates voting.

Looking forward to the next four years of his term, Velasquez said one of the biggest priorities will be making common cause with family farmers.

"One of the resolutions we passed was to form an alliance between small family farmers and farm workers and negotiate up in the supply chain," said Velasquez, "creating pressure so we can create a sustainable pricing system to maintain those small family farms, so that we can preserve our jobs."

Velasquez said the narrative that pits farm workers against farmers must be changed to recognize that small farmers and farm workers have shared economic interests.

In the past, FLOC has negotiated agreements with the end users of farm produce - such as tomatoes for Campbell's soup and cucumbers for Vlasic pickles. Small farmers are typically at a disadvantage when negotiating annual contracts with produce buyers.

Velasquez said he believes farm workers extending their leverage to farmers is key to negotiations with manufactures and retailers.

"What I've learned in those supply-chain negotiations is that farmers are eager to participate," said Velasquez. "If you give them an opportunity to have some leverage, they'll set out what their costs are to the manufacturer and retailer."

The FLOC convention reaffirmed its commitment to defend undocumented people.

Velasquez said while the U.S. needs immigration reform, FLOC doesn't have to wait for that, and can advocate on behalf of undocumented workers.

"We've done many workers'-compensation cases for undocumented people because the workers' comp laws," said Velasquez, "whether it's Ohio or North Carolina or Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee - they're all different and none of them indicate undocumented workers don't have a right to claim benefits from their injury on the job under the state's insurance program."