Spanberger Vetoes Bill Restoring Bargaining Rights for 50,000 Virginia Workers

9 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 15

Thursday’s veto killed legislation that had cleared both chambers and would have restored collective bargaining rights to about 50,000 Virginia public-sector workers.
Spanberger said the bill still needed amendments after lawmakers rejected her weaker revised version, which labor-backed analysis said would leave bargaining merely optional and ineffective.
SEIU, AFSCME and firefighters’ unions called the move a betrayal, saying Spanberger had campaigned for the change and appeared at a February rally backing the measure.
Conservatives praised the veto, arguing the bill risked tax increases, while Virginia’s patchwork system still leaves 8,000 to 9,000 of the state’s 11,000 firefighters without bargaining rights.
The fight extends Virginia’s long labor battle: the state banned public-sector bargaining in 1948, allowed local opt-ins only in 2021, and still bars bargaining for state government workers.

After the veto, what realistic options remain for the half-million Virginia workers seeking collective bargaining rights?

What is Governor Spanberger's alternative vision for a public bargaining system that Virginia's taxpayers can actually afford?