A common refrain I hear when reporting on labor policy in Virginia is that most people – including state lawmakers – don’t really understand it.
I am by no means an expert, but the goal of this newsletter is to change that.
I got some major help on this front with the release this week of a new report that breaks down the basics of collective bargaining and makes the case for allowing it among civil servants in Virginia.
The report was published by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a Virginia nonpartisan research and advocacy organization. It comes alongside the fight to expand collective bargaining rights to all state and local government employees.
State Del. Kathy Tran (D-Springfield) tells me she plans to again file legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session to establish collective bargaining rights for state workers. Tran filed similar legislation earlier this year, but Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed the bill.
So, what is collective bargaining? And what would it mean to allow more teachers, firefighters, and state civil servants to have more say in their jobs?
In practical terms, it would mean democratically elected representatives for these workers would have a seat at the negotiating table to weigh in about pay, benefits and working conditions.
When it comes to making employment more democratic, what’s good for the goose is usually good for the gander.
TCI’s report cites examples of how public-sector collective bargaining has helped address retention issues and improved communication between managers and workers. That’s especially important for state employees under pressure to carry out the daily business of making society function.
The report also notes that Virginia’s state workforce is made up of mostly women and is nearly a quarter Black. Giving these workers more say on the job would help address longstanding equity issues borne out by Virginia’s history of racism and misogyny.
Public-sector collective bargaining would not mean public workers could strike. And any pay raises for state employees would still have to be approved by the General Assembly as part of the state budget making process.
But as Virginia reels from the Trump administration’s attacks on federal workers, state lawmakers have a chance to show they support employees who are vital to everyday critical services.
As Sophie McGinley, the labor analyst who authored the report told me: “Virginia has this opportunity to lead by valuing and protecting its own public workforce.”
