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Welcome back to another edition of Virginia Capital, Dogwood’s economic policy newsletter where workers come first. 

You can read Thursday’s edition here. 

Today, I have coverage of last month’s union victory for the Norfolk Botanical Garden workers, new inflation numbers that reinforce the murky outlook for the economy, and some thoughts on a new Tim Robinson comedy. 

Photo courtesy of Bridget Fitzgerald

Workers at the Norfolk Botanical Garden scored a victory last month when a majority of them voted to form a union. 

Now, the hard work of negotiating a union contract begins for these 70 or so workers who are part of the bargaining unit at the Norfolk garden. 

It took months to get to this place where they can sit across the negotiating table from their managers to push for better wages and working conditions. Among other things, Norfolk garden workers aim to negotiate for a guaranteed inclement-weather policy and clear attendance practices.

It was the bravery of workers in the same line of work that helped workers in Norfolk stick their necks out to fight for a better tomorrow. Last year, workers at Henrico County’s Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden voted to form a union with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, or IAM Union. 

Interested Norfolk garden workers linked up with the Lewis Ginter workers over social media to learn more about how to form a union, and they eventually got in touch with an organizer from IAM Union. 

The union push in Norfolk started by word of mouth before culminating in the union election victory last month. One worker, Sage, told me that a key reason for their success was that many of the Norfolk workers had personal connections with each other and valued each other’s opinions. In other words, the key to winning support for a union was broad mutual respect for one another. 

Wages are obviously important for every worker, especially when so many jobs pay poverty wages. But when I asked Sage why they wanted to form a union, they didn’t mention winning higher pay. 

“My personal motivation for joining the union is just a sense of unity with everyone around the garden mainly,” Sage told me. “This entire process brought us all together as one unified voice.”

As I’ve mentioned in this newsletter before, so many workers in America are alienated from their jobs, and I think low rates of union membership have a lot to do with that. 

But here in Virginia, we have a real world example of at least one worker opting to address that feeling by uniting with their peers to work collectively for a better future. 

• Democratic nominee for Virginia governor, former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger published an op-ed with InsideNova on Virginia’s economy: “I don’t care which political party you belong to – if you care about protecting Virginia’s economy, I want to talk.”

• ABC13 News’ Alison Mullet has coverage of the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor visiting Lynchburg to talk about his economic policies: “I do think we have the ability to continue to recruit businesses as long as we stay a ‘Right to Work’ state.”

   

                               

• Rick Massimo of Northern Virginia Magazine has a report looking at how federal layoffs are impacting the real estate market in Northern Virginia.    

(Kenny Eliason/Unsplash)

We got new inflation numbers today suggesting the impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariffs are starting to push prices upward with the worst yet to come. 

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices were up 2.7% in July from a year earlier, which was slightly below what many economists expected. 

But prices for what economists consider core goods that don’t include the volatile food and energy categories rose 3.1% over the same period, slightly higher than what economists expected. 

The July inflation report suggests that the impact of tariffs are taking longer to be felt in the economy than expected, but the import taxes are still expected to push prices ever higher. Companies may be holding off from passing along the costs of tariffs to consumers for now, but it’s hard to say how long that will last. 

Very few companies recently surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond expect they will be able to find different sources for inputs they need that are subject to tariffs. And most firms surveyed back in February said they expect to pass on — or try to pass on — the increased costs to consumers. 

Here’s what one survey respondent told the Richmond Fed: “Our primary product is sourced entirely from overseas markets with NO domestic alternatives. Tariffs would increase our costs for these supplies while we are dealing with a global supply shortage and higher costs.”

(CJ Rivera/Invision/AP)

For my money, Tim Robinson is the funniest comic working in showbiz these days. 

His comedy, as seen on the shows “I Think You Should Leave” and “Detroiters,” harkens back to his improv roots structured as they are around everyday situations that escalate into absurdly hilarious situations. 

Fans of his comedy can now enjoy “Friendship,” Robinson’s new film he stars in alongside Paul Rudd, that’s available to stream on Apple TV+. The movie is a serious and sad meditation on male loneliness in the 21st century but it comes wrapped in hilarious Robinson bits that keep the laughs coming. The plot of the movie revolves around Robinson’s character, Craig, and his awkward and hamfisted attempts to make real connections in his suburban existence. 

If you want a little taste of the film, check out this extended scene featuring the comedian Connor O’Malley that was released last week. 

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