Beckley’s Public Works employees to receive pay raise

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Following an $8,000 pay raise for Beckley Police, the city’s Public Works employees will also be getting a bump.

Beckley’s Common Council approved on Tuesday a $2 an hour across the board increases for those employees, which will take effect as part of the next pay period.

Councilman Robert Dunlap voted in favor of the increase after learning earlier this year that there were employees relying on the Carpenter’s Corner food kitchen to survive. “That was a travesty to learn that public employees are required to rely on public assistance to survive. That was disheartening.”

To help those workers with the rising cost of inflation, Councilman Tom Sopher also supported the increase, while pointing out that the city does offer a lot of other attractive benefits. “The city operates like a family. If a worker needed time off for a family matter, the city takes care of that and people come back with their jobs.”

Beckley’s Recorder-Treasurer Billie Trump hopes the increase will encourage some new hires. Like industries across America right now, the city is trying to attract new workers.

“At this point, with that raise, Public Works is competitively paid with people in the private sector. The advantage with the city is you get health insurance, retirement, holidays, and a number of other perks that are not available in the private sector.”

Trump credited the raise to a surplus in Public Works funds. With mild winters over the last two years, he said the city has been able to save on salt supplies.

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