CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Jim Justice vetoed a bill Tuesday that would clean up some areas of the Right to Work law in West Virginia.
As written, SB 330 would provide corrections to the definitions of the West Virginia Workplace Freedom Act and to repeal provisions relating to the statutory construction of the act.
The current law is being challenged in court. The overall issue is whether employees who join a workplace represented by a union have to pay some form of dues. The unions argue that employees who don’t would receive the benefits of collective bargaining without providing financial support to pay for those activities. In other words, they say, the right-to-work law takes union property.
Justice said the issue should be taken up in court. In a news release, the governor said, “The issue is for the Supreme Court to decide.”
Right to Work legislation passed both the House of Delegate and Senate during the 2016 legislative session. Former Governor Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed the bill. Legislators overrode his veto the very next day. The law went into effect July 1. Kanawha County Judge Jennifer Bailey approved a temporary injunction supported by unions in August.
In the release, Justice said the Legislature’s top priority should be on the budget.
“Our state doesn’t need to meddle in the pending litigation,” Justice said. “It deserves it’s day in court, free of interference. There are only 11 days left until the end of the session and the Legislature must focus on passing a budget. We owe it to the taxpayers to pass a responsible budget before the clock runs out.”
Lawmakers could override the governor’s veto before the end of the 60-day legislative session.
The last day of the session is Saturday, April 8.