This article originally provided by WVNS TV

Low Pay Drives DOH Workers Elsewhere

The Division of Highways is losing employees amid disputes over pay increases.

Story by Gabe Gutierrez
WVNS Channel 59

Back in February, employees for the Division of Highways in Lewis County marched into a grievance hearing.

They were upset their counterparts in Jefferson, Morgan and Berkeley counties got a 15 percent pay raise in July -- and they didn't.

Department of Transporation officials couldn't comment on pending grievance hearings. But there's other issues affecting DOH workers all over the state.

The DOH's 4th District -- serving North Central West Virginia -- is understaffed. For example, in Preston County, at least five workers have quit in the past few weeks, leaving the county 19 employees short of its quota. In Monongalia County, the DOH is down ten workers.

"What we're hearing anecdotally is that some mining jobs are opening up in that area," said Jeff Black, director of human resources for the W.Va. Department of Transportation.

Those jobs driving coal trucks sometimes for more than $20 an hour. DOH jobs often start around $8 an hour.

"The lure of a $20-plus wage an hour is certainly going to attract some people," Black said.

So how exactly does the DOH plan to compete?

"Well, that's a very good question," Black responded. "We know that our pay is below the market rate and the private sector rate."

A rising cost of living isn't helping, either. That's part of the reason for the pay hike in those three counties. "We see that some parts of the state are more difficult than others," Black said.

A mild winter also helped relieve the the dwindling staff around the state, but what happens next year?

"Right now we're tracking the problem," Black said.

A worst case scenario, he said, might involve hiring outside contractors. Although he stressed that's a last resort.

But it might also be the last straw for some of local workers.

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