Locality pay seen as way to build workforce retention in West Virginia

BERKELEY COUNTY, W.Va. (DC News Now) — West Virginia’s primary election is May 14 and voters in the eastern panhandle are looking for ways to keep workers from taking jobs across state lines.

Voters in the region feel more connected to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

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Del. Larry Kump (R-Berkeley County) sees it as he travels his district.

“We have a hard time retaining state employees and school employees,” Kump said. “They’re underpaid anyway but they’re grossly underpaid in the eastern panhandle.”

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“West Virginia public employees have some of the lowest wages across the nation,” Maria Russo, Democratic House of Delegates candidate in the neighboring Jefferson County, said.

Her candidacy is a call to action.

“We need to support people who want to stay and work in West Virginia,” Russo said. “Many want to go to work in Maryland or Virginia for higher salaries. We need to make sure they have opportunities here.”

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But locality pay needs support from legislators, not from the region.

Lucia Valentine is running for the House of Delegates on the Democratic ticket in a legislative district that takes in communities from both Jefferson and Berkeley counties.

“Locality pay down the lines also makes sense in other parts of our state,” Valentine said. “But it makes the most sense to get it started right here in the eastern panhandle. It’s important for our public school teachers and state employees and others who want to work and live here.”

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