By David Beard, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A dozen labor organizations representing public employees have filed suit to block the Paycheck Protection Act, a bill to prohibit public employers from deducting dues or fees for unions, labor organizations and clubs from public employee paychecks.
The bill, HB 2009, passed the Legislature March 19 and was signed into law March 30.
The organizations filing the suit said in a Thursday press release that the Paycheck Protection Act was passed with the sole purpose of retaliating against them.
“As is clearly stated in our circuit court filing, the so-called Paycheck Protection Act discriminates against organized public employees who seek to ensure safe workplaces and fair treatment by their employers, and was passed by this legislative majority purely out of spite,” West Virgnia AFL-CIO President Josh Sword said.
“House Bill 2009 selectively and discriminately prohibits paycheck deductions for public employees and their unions, a practice that has gone on for more than 50 years without a problem, while still allowing hundreds of other paycheck deductions to remain in place,” he said. “It is blatant vindictiveness, and it’s a violation of these employees’ constitutional rights.” …
