Richmond – The future of collective bargaining for public sector employees remains uncertain, as Governor Spanberger waits to act on legislation passed by the General Assembly this year. This year, the General Assembly passed HB1263 and SB378, which repealed the Jim Crow-era prohibition on public sector collective bargaining. The bill notably excluded higher education workers, who hoped that Governor Spanberger would amend the bill to include them. Instead, Governor Spanberger sent back amendments that excluded more categories of workers, delayed enactment of the bill, and significantly weakened other major provisions. Those amendments were rejected by the General Assembly, and now the bill remains in limbo, as public workers wait to see whether they will be able to share in the worker protections enjoyed by many private-sector employees.
“20% of Virginia workers are public employees, and right now they are watching this Governor decide whether their voices matter,” said Ashleigh Crocker, Interim Executive Director of Progress Virginia. “The Governor campaigned on a platform of helping people thrive in our economy, and her failure to sign this bill is a direct violation of that promise. The workers this affects are real people whose work is vital to our Commonwealth, and they have waited decades for the right to organize. The Governor still has time to sign this bill, but that window is closing. Delaying or weakening this legislation doesn’t just break a campaign promise; it breaks faith with the working people who worked hard to put her in office.”
Background:
- Governor Spanberger campaigned on what she called an Affordability Agenda, which promised significant investments in health care, housing, paid family and medical leave, better-paying jobs, and reductions in energy costs.
- In the 2025 gubernatorial election, more than half of Virginia voters said the economy was the primary driver of their vote, with an additional 21% citing health care costs and access as their main reason for voting.
- About 1/5th of Virginia workers are public sector workers, and both their real wages and rates of raises lag behind their private-sector counterparts.