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A coalition of Virginia public-sector unions is ramping up its lobbying efforts ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

The coalition is organizing a series of town halls around the state on collective bargaining rights after Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed collective bargaining legislation earlier this year.

The coalition includes the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

I dropped by one of the town halls over the weekend in Woodbridge. You can see some of what was said here and here. The event included moving testimonials from home care workers barely making enough to scrape by as they care for loved ones and people living with disabilities.

Time will tell if the unions and the Spanberger administration can come together on a bill that finally expands collective bargaining rights to the thousands of state and local government workers, home care workers, and higher education workers in Virginia.

SEIU Virginia 512 is collecting signatures for a petition in support of public-sector bargaining rights.

On the midterms elections front, Dogwood organizer, Ava Edwards, put together a series of articles to help people navigate voting this fall.

They include:

Below, I report on US Rep. Rob Wittman’s record on the tariffs driving up the cost of living.

And I share two new songs I’ve had on repeat.

Michael O’Connor

Reporter, Dogwood

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., left, poses during a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., in the Rayburn Room at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

When I talk to voters upset by the rise and return of President Donald Trump to the White House, it’s not unusual for them to struggle to articulate their top issue.

There’s just too much to be mad about.

But one of the most basic ways Trump has made life harder for Americans is by pursuing policies that make life more expensive. This is all the more galling after Trump campaigned relentlessly on the promise that he would lower the cost of living.

There are two clear examples of this: the war in Iran and tariffs. My story today is focused on tariffs.

Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York recently found that for every percentage point increase in average tariffs, consumer goods prices increase by about a quarter of a percent after one year.

Meanwhile, the average tariff rate on all imports is 9.6%, up from 2.1% from when Trump was inaugurated in 2025, according to estimates from The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

So where does the Republican in one of the Congressional races that will determine which party controls the US House of Representatives stand on all this?

As I report in my story today, Wittman, who represents Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, has voted in support of Trump’s tariffs.

We’ll soon find out if Wittman’s support for tariffs translates into voters supporting him.

Virginia US Sen. Mark Warner met with airport workers at Washington National Airport to talk about their struggles to afford healthcare, reports WJLA’s Jessica James.

Over 400 workers at the Molson Coors facility in the Shenandoah Valley have voted to join Teamsters Local 29.

The Education Association of Alexandria plans to stand in solidarity with Alexandria City Public Schools Transportation Department workers tonight. In September, James Libresco at the Alexandria Times reported on the challenges and concerns of these workers.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden workers on the picket line yesterday. (Michael O’Connor/Dogwood)

Yesterday, I dropped by the picket line at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden where workers have been on strike for over a month.

I arrived to find four workers on the picket line, which the garden’s management has taken steps to try to control. The union has put out new picketing guidelines after the garden’s management asked a judge to limit where the workers could be.

The workers I met with were reluctant to speak with me given how the stakes have risen since they first went on strike on Sept. 2. But you can hear from them directly in the updates they post online.

The workers are still calling for a boycott of the garden, which took away the healthcare of workers on strike. (Union readers, is this a common tactic from companies looking to break a strike? Is it legal?)

Here’s hoping the garden’s management will finally make a counteroffer as these workers fight for a fair contract.

(Sylvan Esso/YouTube)

And now for two songs that I recommend.

The first is a folk tune ripped from the headlines in the classic protest song tradition called “Talkin WWIII Blues” by Sam Hodgson. For comparison, check out Bob Dylan’s version from 1963.

For something to get your toes tapping, I recommend a new song from Sylvan Esso called “Plastic Sword.”

It’s a catchy tune with fun vocals and lyrics. Play this one loud.