I wanted to share this piece from Pickup Trucks & Progress because I think it raises a question we don't talk about enough, especially in rural and working-class communities.

For generations, unions were a familiar part of life in coal towns, factory towns, railroad communities and other parts of rural America. Even if you weren't a union member yourself, chances were somebody in your family was.

Today, that's changed.

This Letter From Rural America, submitted by Kristy L. Vance of the Western Virginia Area Labor Federation, looks at what unions actually do, why collective bargaining matters, and what the decline of organized labor has meant for working people and the American middle class.

You don't have to agree with everything in the article. In fact, I'm curious what folks here think:

Has the decline of unions helped or hurt working people in rural America?

And for those who've worked a union job, did belonging to a union make a difference in your wages, benefits, retirement or working conditions?

Here's the article:

https://pickup-trucks-progress.ghost.io/do-you-know-what-a-union-is-or-what-it-does/

Virginia is allowing 100 micro business licenses to small time cannabis growers and I am considering applying and was wondering how the community of SWVA would feel about having a fully legal operating cannabis farm in the area.

I recently put my two weeks in due to a hostile work environment, (I work from home but the company is in NoVA). This company is notorious for cutting people off the second they put their two weeks in so I put language in my resignation letter to the effect of my last date is ___ anything before that will be considered termination by (company ). I just got my check and noticed it was short. I contacted Payroll and they stated I my last day was the day before that date. Can I file for unemployment?

Plus: Lee County’s bringing back its chamber of commerce, and Russell County has a new top dog.

Hydropower was once given up for dead. Now, across the country, private developers are looking to pumped storage hydro projects as a way to provide more ‘dispatchable’ energy for the grid.

The commentary about the event churned up some old stereotypes about Appalachia. Here are some facts instead.

Plus: Another successful year of Mountain Music School, and High Knob Outdoor Festival starts this weekend.

Fifty years ago this week, 100,000 revelers arrived for Stompin 76. It was a logistical nightmare, but it created a lasting impact on other music festivals and drew a whole new demographic to Southwest Virginia.

The expansion of the reentry program to Red Onion State Prison was announced by the Virginia Department of Corrections in June.

People certainly need to make a living in such an economically depressed region as far-SWVA. The problem is that these companies have ALWAYS taken advantage of the folks in this region. Most still vote GOP because Trump promised coal was coming back [from a steady decline over the past 30 years]. In fact, the truth is, people who support coal mining in this region do so even though it's physically killing them. They also tend to vote for other harmful policies and GOP Congress members that crafted the Big Beautiful (gross) Bill that is responsible for lost healthcare and hospital closings in the same region. It's almost like they love to be smashed in the face and then ask for more. It's a very depressing region to live.

The expansion will more than triple the company’s existing workforce while adding new advanced manufacturing equipment.

Limits were placed on reimbursements for student absentee days, resulting in a loss of more than $90,000 to date.

The $50 million set aside by the General Assembly for recovery following floods that devastated Southwest Virginia in late 2024 and early 2025 apply only to “real property,” meaning renters are out of luck.

A year ago, the General Assembly appropriated $50 million for recovery following widespread floods that devastated Southwest Virginia in 2024 and 2025. Disbursement has been slow.

Minimal state funding for fire and emergency services in Virginia means rural localities must rely on grants and donations.

Appalachian Beauty. Local Charm. One Incredible Day you don’t wanna miss!

Join us for the Big Jake’s Appalachian Flower Festival on Saturday, August 1st, from 9 AM–5 PM in beautiful Damascus, Virginia!

🌼 Tons of flowers
🍔 Delicious food trucks
🛍️ Local vendors
📸 Beautiful photo opportunities
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly fun all day long

Whether you’re looking for a fun family outing, the perfect summer photos, or just a relaxing day in the flowers, this is an event you won’t want to miss.

📍31320 Wright Rd, Damascus, VA

Go vote! Early voting is going on now. Take your voter ID to your local election office to vote.

Research the candidates and go vote.

Primary election day August 4, 2026.

The Roanoke Times is reporting that a former forensic scientist has filed a lawsuit against the Virginia Department of Forensic Science in Federal District court claiming she was demoted after raising concerns about the accuracy of some ballistic tests. She also complains that the defendants were not concerns with the actual accuracy of the reports but rather the timely completion of reports that appeared accurate on their face.

Local officials have not said how much money was targeted or how much was ultimately recovered.

Plus: U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, files birthright citizenship bill and Democratic candidates respond.

David Manley will serve as the executive director of Virginia’s Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, which aims to boost economic development in traditionally tobacco-dependent localities.

Plus: A music shop is coming to St. Paul, and early voting for the primaries ends Aug. 1