Citing planned protest, Highways seeks to limit turnout at mass employee grievance

Attorneys for the West Virginia Division of Highways are asking the state Public Employees Grievance Board to make an exception to a law that allows grievants to attend their grievance hearings without having to take time off from work or use leave time.

In a letter to the board, Highways attorney Rebecca McDonald asked whether the law should apply to an upcoming mediation hearing for a mass grievance currently involving 408 employees over the division’s failure to upgrade its pay grades, as mandated by a 2017 law.

“Does a protest rally fall within the provision granting grievants the right to attend a grievance proceeding?” she asked the board.

In the letter, McDonald stated that the grievants intend to stage a “protest rally” outside of Grievance Board offices prior to the Oct. 18 mediation hearing.

Read more: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/citing-planned-protest-highways-seeks-to-limit-turnout-at-mass/article_3c2a6ca3-c288-5860-9806-6185b51aa0b3.html