Virginia unions condemn governor’s veto blocking public-sector bargaining rights

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed a bill that would restore collective bargaining rights for about 50,000 public-sector workers, prompting strong union backlash that she broke campaign promises. The General Assembly had passed a version restoring most workers’ bargaining rights, but Spanberger’s amended bill weakened them, effectively making bargaining optional per an Economic Policy Institute analysis. Conservatives praised the veto, arguing it would avert tax increases. Union leaders from SEIU, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and AFSCME called it a betrayal, while the governor’s office said she remains committed to designing a workable public-sector bargaining system and will seek further amendments. The piece situates the veto in Virginia’s Jim Crow-era history and notes the state’s 2021 move allowing localities to enact their own bargaining systems, with state workers still lacking such rights.