I’ve spilled a lot of digital ink in recent weeks on the public-sector collective bargaining bill that the General Assembly passed last week.
And for good reason: its passage marks a watershed moment in Virginia labor policy, and, if Spanberger signs it, it would lend credibility to her claim that she wants to make Virginia both pro-business and pro-worker.
But it’s far from the only bill out of the 1,200-plus bills the General Assembly passed intended to tighten up support for workers within Virginia’s web of pro-business policies.
Another bill heading to Spanberger’s desk would allow localities to pass measures to protect the jobs of building maintenance workers.
Today, if a building owner changes the company it uses for maintenance work, then all the workers under the old contract can lose their jobs without warning and with little recourse.
The bill introduced by state Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington) would allow localities to pass measures to protect these workers caught in between the companies they work for and the building owners who hire them.
Getting the bill passed was a top priority for the union 32BJ with Service Employees International Union, especially after a similar bill was vetoed last year by former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
“Building maintenance worker retention is a huge victory for 32BJ contracted janitors and airport workers who often lose their jobs through no fault of their own when a contract changes hands!” the union posted on X.
