Labor leaders call veto of collective bargaining bill a ‘betrayal’ by Virginia governor

Virginia’s Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, vetoed a bill on Thursday that would have restored collective bargaining rights for 50,000 public sector workers in the state. Union leaders say the veto is a “betrayal” and “slap in the face” after the governor campaigned last year on promises to restore collective bargaining rights. Though majorities in both chambers of Virginia’s general assembly passed legislation that would restore bargaining rights to most public sector workers, Spanberger introduced an amended version of the bill last month that was eventually rejected by the assembly. According to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute, Spanberger’s amended bill so heavily weakened the collective bargaining rights initially passed by the general assembly that it would “lock Virginia into an unstable, ineffective system in which collective bargaining would remain merely ‘optional’”. The veto was praised by conservatives who claimed the bill would have brought on large tax increases. Union leaders say the veto is an about-face from promises she made on the campaign trail. In February, a month after entering office, the governor attended a rally in support of the bill held by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), according to the Virginia Mercury. The SEIU leaders April Verrett, LaNoral Thomas and Jaime Contreras said in a joint statement said the veto was a “betrayal of Virginia’s workers who were promised change”. …