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Legal review
Attorneys in power positions amid talent shortage
In law firms across Virginia, power is now definitely on the side of individual attorneys, who can command larger salaries and other perks so long as they’re willing to cope with heavier workloads. As demand for legal services has soared, the number of lawyers available to perform that work has slumped, leaving even the most
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Summer dreams
Hospitality industry hopes for stronger 2022
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Tournaments at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Events at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. A busy Oceanfront boardwalk. That was the scene in Virginia Beach during just one weekend in mid-March. And it was the perfect “prelude” to the summer travel season, says John Zirkle, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Virginia Beach. “The
Roanoke Times union, Lee settle on new contract
Minimum full-time pay rate to increase by 12%
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The Roanoke Times newsroom union said Tuesday it has agreed on a new two-year contract with owner Lee Enterprises, following a brief picket line last week. Members of the Timesland News Guild, which represents 30 employees of The Roanoke Times and Laker Weekly, will receive 2% annual raises, and minimum full-time pay will rise about
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Roanoke Times union pickets over wages, mileage
News guild says owner Lee Enterprises won't budge in negotiations
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The Roanoke Times’ newsroom union staged its first-ever picket line briefly Monday as a message to the newspaper’s owners, Lee Enterprises, which the union says won’t budge on requested salary and mileage reimbursement increases. Alison Graham, vice chair of the Timesland News Guild and a staff writer at The Roanoke Times, said earlier Monday that
The big crunch
Uptick in demand stretches law firms
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Although the “Great Resignation” is hitting other industries harder, Virginia law firms are experiencing a tight labor market while also seeing increased demand for services. Alison McKee, a past president of the Virginia Bar Association and an attorney at Kaufman & Canoles PC in Virginia Beach, notes that “2021 was the busiest year in a
GMU establishes health workforce center
Goal is to address the shortage of health care workers
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George Mason University has established the Mason Center for the Health Workforce, the university announced Monday. The new center, directed by PJ Maddox and Caroline Sutter, will address the shortage and immediate need for health care workers in Virginia. It will serve as a technical assistance center for health workforce research, program evaluation, planning and
Rethinking labor
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Back in my big company days, large newspapers were heavily unionized. After railroads and before high tech, newspaper publishers were the media barons of the day. The business was capital intensive, requiring once-in-a-generation investments for big presses and printing facilities. It was also high on fixed costs, with payroll being the largest expense before newsprint
Va. bills advance to halt minimum wage increases
State minimum wage to rise to $12 in 2023
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RICHMOND, Va. – Two bills introduced by Republicans to halt future minimum wage increases have advanced to the House floor. Minimum wage in Virginia increased to $11 an hour on Jan. 1 and is set to increase to $12 next January. The House Commerce and Energy committee approved House Bill 320, introduced by Del. Nicholas
Va. job openings, number of hires rebound from October 2021
Virginia had largest decrease among states for both measures in October 2021
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Virginia had 301,000 job openings in November, a small rebound from October 2021, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data released Jan. 21. In October 2021, job openings in Virginia declined by about 28,000, which was the largest drop among states. The Virginia job openings rate
New Va. unemployment claims down 32%
New claims dropped under 2,000, but continued claims rose 480
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Virginia’s new unemployment claims declined by almost 32%, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending Jan. 22, Virginians filed 1,940 initial claims, down 909 from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 7,543, an increase of 484 claims from the week before. Compared to the same week last year, initial claims were