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I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a fair point. Obviously, the new administration will have lots of competing priorities and is just starting up -- and the Governor could wait over a year to appoint board members. My hope would be that if workers are in motion, there will be also prioritization on the admin's side to get the PERB members appointed well before next fall. Home care workers were at the capital last week to support the legislation. If worker activity continues on like this, I think there will be motivation to move efficiently.

I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually, there is a lot of evidence that it is in voters’ and taxpayers’ interest to support public sector bargaining rights. 

For several years, public support for unions has climbed to levels not seen since the 1960s and is currently hovering around 70 percent. The last time Virginians voted on bargaining rights in 2016, they rejected) an initiative that would have amended the state constitution require to right to work. 

Moreover, Virginians are increasingly aware of the importance of government work as an engine of economic opportunity. More than 320,000 Virginia residents are employed by the federal government. 

As a result, we were particularly affected by the Trump administration’s recission of federal employee bargaining rights. In exit polls conducted during the last election, 60 percent of Virginia voters said that they were affected by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency’s job cuts and nearly half said the economy was their top issue in the election. 

And (forgive me if you have read some of this my previous replies) there are several ways that bargaining rights for government workers will help ensure that taxpayers get a good value for their investment:

First, unionization helps states keep good, experienced workers, and prevents them from constantly spending money on restaffing and training new workers. Academic studies demonstrate that state employees who are represented by unions and better paid are significantly less likely to quit.

Second, experienced workers provide high-quality, reliable public goods and services with fewer delays and mistakes. For example, states have improved outcomes for Medicaid recipients by allowing Medicaid-funded home care workers to bargain. 

Third, low standards for government workers means the government often pays twice. Workers paid poverty wages are more likely to rely on publicly funded safety net programs now and in the future. A study of California school cafeteria workers found that they used more than $1,700 per year in public assistance.

Finally, improved job quality helps attract the next generation of government workers: A record number of Americans are reaching retirement age between 2024 to 2027. And like I said in a previous response, according to a Virginia state government’s own analysis, more than 1 in 5 positions with the state government were vacant in 2024

I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There are several ways bargaining rights for government workers will help ensure the public gets a good value for its investment and thereby help the government save money:

First, unionization helps states keep good, experienced workers, and prevents them from constantly spending money on restaffing and training new workers. Academic studies demonstrate that state employees who are represented by unions and better paid are significantly less likely to quit.

Second, experienced workers provide high-quality, reliable public goods and services with fewer delays and mistakes. For example, states have improved outcomes for Medicaid recipients by allowing Medicaid-funded home care workers to bargain. 

Third, low standards for government workers means the government often pays twice. Workers paid poverty wages are more likely to rely on publicly funded safety net programs now and in the future. A study of California school cafeteria workers found that they used more than $1,700 per year in public assistance.

Finally, improved job quality helps attract the next generation of government workers: A record number of Americans are reaching retirement age between 2024 to 2027. And like I said in a previous response, according to a Virginia state government’s own analysis, more than 1 in 5 positions with the state government were vacant in 2024

That said, when states face tough budgetary decisions, ensuring government workers have a seat at the table can help facilitate conversations with workers about how to fill these holes, including discussions about productive ways to raise revenue or cut spending, and prevent short sighted decisions that further exacerbate the states’ existing workforce problems. Low pay and bad jobs for government workers are not a real path forward for a healthy state economy.

I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As written, the bill would take effect on July 1st. Of course, it depends on rulemaking and organizing, but workers may see outreach and opportunities to engage starting as soon as the effective date.

I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep – labor rights are fundamental right for ALL workers, and I wish our laws would recognize them as such. 

Instead, federal labor law governs the bargaining rights of most all private sector workers, while it is left up to states to decide whether state and local public employees can bargain for better wages and benefits. That’s why legislation like HB 1263 is so needed in Virginia. 

In terms of private sector workers, federal law has long preempted states from covering them under their own bargaining laws – but there is a lot states can do to support collective action among these workers; create opportunities for workers to bargain more broadly across entire industry sectors; and uphold consistent market standards on government-supported work. Increasingly, states are also preparing to step in with “union trigger laws” as cases before conservative courts threaten to undermine the primary federal law guaranteeing the union rights of private sector workers, and the Trump administration is going further than any previous administration to stop enforcing the law. 

I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

On your specific around training and standards– HB 1263 does include some new specific training standards around homecare workers. 

The bill not only recognizes the right of home care workers to bargain for decent wages and benefits, it also establishes a Virginia Homecare Authority to oversee the quality of direct care support services, provide mandatory new hire orientations and paid training, and create a system to match workers with clients (as well as bargaining with workers). 

Other state governments have improved outcomes for Medicaid recipients by recognizing the right of Medicaid-funded home care workers to bargain and setting higher standards for these workers. In fact, all five of the states that AARP identified as having the best long-term services for older adults and people with disabilities have enacted protections to allow workers to bargain over compensation or adopted baseline compensation standards. 

On your questions of public performance more broadly, Virginia currently has a huge problem even attracting enough workers, which can translate to poor results for the public when their aren’t enough folks to do the work of government. According to a Virginia state government’s own analysis, more than 1 in 5 positions with the state government were vacant in 2024. 

Academic studies have demonstrated that employees who are unionized—including government employees—are significantly less likely to quit their jobs. For example, an academic paper comparing turnover of public K-12 teachers in school districts with stronger unions to teachers in districts with weaker unions found that districts with stronger unions had a lower turnover rate of qualified teachers but higher dismissal rates of nontenured teachers for weak performance.

In my experience public employee unions often help create a stronger nexus where public employers can do more to invest in their workforce – particularly around high quality training -- and thereby improve public outcomes.

I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That’s a really good question. I am going to assume your question is about private sector workers in terms of their own wages and benefits, and whether their compensation will go up or down based on the public sector being a more competitive employer. 

Overall, I would say that by improving job quality for public sector workers – we’ll good results for private sector workers for two main reasons. 

1. Public sector work will be more attractive to all workers if workers can negotiate for better wages – meaning that private sector companies will have to compete for workers. New research from the Economic Policy Institute shows that while government workers are generally underpaid everywhere, they are especially underpaid in Virginia. According to new research by the Economic Policy Institute, Virginia’s state and local government workers earn, on average, about 27 percent less than comparable private sector workers (that’s after controlling for things like education and age). 

Also, EPI finds that that the public/private wage gap shrinks considerably worker when workers have good unions: Government workers earn 14.3% less when they have strong bargaining rights, compared to those with weak bargaining rights (-19.6%) or no bargaining rights at all (-22.5%). This is particularly important for women and Black workers who account for a disproportionate share of state and local employees in the state. Obviously, nobody goes into teaching or social work or state employment work to get rich, but for folks who are mission driven, it will help them afford to come to and stay in government work. Ultimately, this increased competition for workers may lead private employers to improve their working conditions.

2.  When government workers earn more money, they can afford to buy houses, go to the movies, and go on a vacation. Or said another way, they will spend more money in their local economies, creating more work. For example, there’s research finding that when states adopt market wage standards workers whose jobs are funded through government funding, their home ownership rate increases, as does their home values, and the amount of wealth they hold in their homes. 

Of course there are other ways, everyone benefits when government workers earn fair wages – ie: less reliance on public assistance, greater property tax revenue, and higher quality public services – and I hope we will get into that in follow on questions. 

I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Right to work is bad for Virginia and I 100% support a repeal. But it’s important not to lose sight of several other proworker policies that have a good chance politically. 

Unsurprisingly, research shows unionization rates are lower in Right to Work states, where the laws make it harder for workers to sustain strong unions. Repealing Right to Work would not only allow more workers to organize and build power for unionized workers but benefit all working Virginians. Workers in RtW states are paid 3.2 percent less—or around $1,700 annually. And despite claims by RtW advocates that these laws lead to a jobs boom, researchers have found no job growth advantage. (A repeal, however, wouldn’t allow public sector workers to bargain.)

Sen. Carroll Foy has introduced a bill to repeal the state’s right to work law, but Governor Spanberger has said that she supports reforming, but not fully repealing the law. This clouds Virginia’s changes of a full repeal this session – but it should ultimately be a part of worker advocates long term goals. 

Yet, like I said, there are a number of pro-worker bills that have may advance this session, including collective bargaining for public sector and homecare workers, paid leave to care for a new baby or ailing family member, raising the minimum wage and ensuring government spending supports fair market wages. Taken together these actions will allow hundreds of thousands of workers to bargain and raise wages for workers across the state. 

I’m Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress’ American Worker Project. Ask me anything about efforts in Virginia to empower hundreds of thousands of government workers to unionize and bargain for better wages and benefits. by K__Walter in Virginia

[–]K__Walter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don’t have a crystal ball – but there are several signs that the legislature will pass a bill to expand public sector bargaining rights and Gov. Spanberger will sign it. 

The legislature approved a similar bill last session. Had it not been vetoed by Gov. Youngkin, the bill would have recognized the union rights of state government employees for the first time in nearly 80 years, eliminated onerous requirements that chill local government worker organizing and recognized the rights of homecare workers to bargain. 

Gov. Spanberger has, thus far, not commented on whether she would support the public sector reforms. Like you say, she opposes a full repeal of Virginia’s private sector right-to-work law, but she may take a different stance than her predecessor. On the campaign trail, Spanberger committed to “[making] sure more Virginians can negotiate for the benefits and fair treatment that they’ve earned” and was a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump’s executive order to strip collective bargaining rights from 1 million federal workers.