Iron Workers Local 549 Business Agent and President Kelly Dierkes joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the challenges of organizing in West Virginia, a So-Called “Right to Work” state that has repealed Prevailing Wage laws.
Local 549 represents IronWorkers across the state of West Virginia, as well as a few counties in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Dierkes said representatives from Local 549 and other Unions in the Mountain State are building a strong coalition of politicians, including some Republicans, who want to reinstate Prevailing Wage. He estimated they are about two election cycles away from bringing Prevailing Wage back to West Virginia.
He explained how he takes West Virginia politicians on tours of apprenticeship programs. Many of these individuals are anti-union and do not understand how apprenticeships work, nor the fact these U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship programs are entirely self-funded. Oftentimes once these politicians complete the tours, they gain a new understanding of unions and what they can do for working people, he added.
Dierkes also spoke about the Bridge Formula Program, which will allocate $26.5 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help repair, replace and construct approximately 15,000 highway bridges. The program will provide good union jobs for Ironworkers in West Virginia, he said.
Lastly, he touched on some projects happening within the Local 549 jurisdiction, including work at gas-fired power plants in Cadiz, Ohio and Morgantown, W. Va., plus a $1 billion magnesium plant planned for Cadiz.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.