RICHMOND — A new bill in the Virginia General Assembly would give public sector employees in Virginia the right to form unions and collectively bargain without government approval.
House Bill 1263 would automatically grant more than 500,000 state and local employees across the Commonwealth the freedom to organize. A 2020 law allowed municipal and public school employees to form unions, but only if their local governments approved. Since it was passed, nearly 20 localities have granted their workers the right to collectively bargain but at least one board in Manassas has banned unionization.
LaNoral Thomas, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 512, said individual home health care providers in the Commonwealth would be included in the bill. The state would be recognized as their official employer.
“These workers would finally have a seat at the bargaining table to really be able to negotiate for their wages, their benefits, their overall working conditions,” Thomas outlined. “Right now they do not have that. For home care providers, this is a workforce that is overwhelmingly women, overwhelmingly women of color.”
The legislation was previously vetoed by former Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. He argued the bill would impede the government’s ability to provide critical services and cost taxpayers millions each year.
The popularity of unions has remained steady. A Gallup poll last year found nearly 70% of Americans approve of unions, up from a record low of 48% in 2009. Thomas has confidence new political leadership will embrace giving the workforce more opportunities to unionize.
“For too long, they have always been written out,” Thomas asserted. “This workforce has a history all the way back to slavery. And so finally, we are excited that the Commonwealth of Virginia, under the leadership of Governor Spanberger will begin to see them as the amazing workforce that they are and value the work that they do.”
While Spanberger has not said whether she will sign the bill, many believe it fits into her focus on affordability for Virginians.
