The Senate Workforce Committee reported SB 191 and SB 222 to the floor Wednesday with the recommendation to pass.
SB 191 would remove the requirment that programs be jointly administered by labor and management trustees in order to qualify for tax credits for apprenticeship training in construction trades.
Senator Glenn Jeffries (D-Putnam) suggested two amendments to the bill. The first, which would have added $2 to the applicable minimum wage for those in apprenticeship programs in order to attract individuals who want to learn trade, was rejected by the committee primarily for legal concerns.
The second, which would add a subsection to the bill requiring employers to run apprentices through the E-Verify system in order for them to qualify for the tax credits in the bill, was adopted. The committee approved reporting the amended version of the bill to the floor for passage.
SB 222 would disqualify an individual from receiving benefits for any week, or portion of a week, in which he or she left or lost his or her job as a result of a strike.
Local labor attorney Patrick Maroney said adoption of the bill would be an “intrusion by the state” that would “do more harm to both the company and employees” than good.
He added that the current statute should remain in place, as it has been “very, very good” at maintaining company-employee bargains for nearly 60 years.
However, the committee overall approved the bill to be reported to the floor with the recommendation to pass.
Senators Robert Beach (D-Monongalia) and Richard Ojeda (D-Logan) opposed the bill’s passage.
