A group of nearly 30 local elected officials from localities that allow local government and school board employees to collectively bargain sent a letter to Gov. Abigail Spanberger dated yesterday urging her to sign the collective bargaining legislation.
The signatories to the letter are from Albemarle County, Fairfax County, Leesburg, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Richmond, and Roanoke.
The letter says that collective bargaining helped improve morale across Virginia’s local workforces and led to better retention. Collective bargaining also helped local leaders work within a formal structure with clear guidelines to communicate with their workers.
“Our workers did not seek premium salary and benefits packages,” the letter reads. “They asked for clearer workplace safety standards, paid family and medical leave, reasonable working hours, and cost-of-living adjustments.”
I obtained a copy of the letter and you can read it here.
Spanberger has until May 22 to sign the legislation, let it become law without her signature, or veto it.
Albemarle County Supervisor Mike Pruitt was among the local leaders who signed the letter.
He told me he “would have preferred to see collective bargaining legislation that included the university workers who form a key part of Albemarle’s community, and look forward to their inclusion in future legislation.”
