Virginia has had a ban on public employee union bargaining for decades. Democrats, in the majority four years ago, loosened that ban and allowed localities to opt-in to such bargaining agreements. Now, an effort that would fully repeal the ban is headed to the House floor after a successful committee vote this week.
Every public employee in Virginia may soon be able to engage in collective bargaining if an effort in the House of Delegates survives floor votes in the coming days.
Some public college employees gathered at the General Assembly building ahead of the vote. Among them was Stef Gunst, administrative coordinator at the University of Virginia and member of the United Campus Workers of Virginia.
“We know that universities will lobby and fundraise to the tune of billions of dollars for what is important to them and we hope that will include resourcing the workers who provide the high-quality research and education that is our mission,” Gunst said Tuesday morning.
At a subcommittee hearing, other public employees, like firefighters, preschool teachers and staff at the state’s Department of Corrections all joined in supporting the effort. But Lauren Stewart with Americans for Prosperity said the effort was rushed and could cost localities money they don’t have.
“The current fiscal impact analysis is very limited and doesn’t reflect the diverse localities in Virginia; the cities, the counties and towns,” Stewart said.
The fiscal impact statement released with the bill puts the price tag of the effort in the tens of millions.
But Stewart argued not all localities responded to the request for impact data and she pointed to a letter written by a bipartisan coalition of mayors in the Hampton Roads area which asked for local bargaining authority to stay in the hands of localities.
A Senate version is also working its way through that chamber. As for Governor Abigail Spanberger, she’s said no to a full repeal of the state’s union-limiting 'right to work' law. However, during her State of the Commonwealth address, she said “being pro-business and being pro-worker are not mutually exclusive.”
