For an opposing point of view, see “General Assembly must not leave higher ed workers out of historic collective bargaining bill,” by University of Virginia doctoral student Kelsey Levine.
The Virginia General Assembly has decided that what Virginians need right now is higher taxes, and we can only pray that Gov. Spanberger doesn’t agree.
During her campaign, Abigail Spanberger tried to position herself as a moderate on pocketbook issues, but her fellow Democrats in the General Assembly have been passing the most extreme legislation they can come up with.
A perfect example is House Bill 1263 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 378, which were both passed by their respective houses.
These bills would force all of Virginia’s public sector employees under the control of union bosses, including local governments that already voted against government union bargaining.
Local governments in Virginia have had the option of unionizing their employees since 2021, but most have chosen not to do so due to the higher costs, reduced flexibility and lower quality of services that arise from government union bargaining.
Our state legislators seem to think it’s unacceptable to let local governments and the taxpayers make such vital decisions for themselves, which is why this new one-size-fits-all legislation has been proposed.
The fact is, this isn’t a partisan issue. Outside the halls of our current power-crazed state legislature, voters and local politicians from both parties have joined together in demonstrating strong opposition.
All seven mayors in the Hampton Roads area, Democrats and Republicans, penned a strongly worded letter urging their state-level colleagues to reject this measure.
And Prince William County Democrat School Board Chair Babur Lateef said HB 1263/SB 378 would be the biggest tax increase in Virginia history.
As for public opinion, it’s long been established that more than 80% of Virginians oppose forcing workers into unions without a free choice.
Now, Governor Spanberger is under a great deal of pressure from powerful union bosses and her Democrat colleagues to sign this measure in the teeth of her constituents’ wishes, basic fairness, affordability and sound public policy.
If Spanberger signs a bill to force all public sector employees into unions, it will mean she has decided to abandon the path of careful good governance and has instead turned towards the type of extremism that has wrecked the economies of states like California and Illinois.
With the legislation likely landing on her desk in a few weeks, barring a change of heart by legislators, now is the time for Virginians to let Gov. Spanberger know that they expect her to stand up for basic good and affordable governance.
Mark Mix is president of the National Right to Work Committee.
