Dems propose bill to allow all public workers in Virginia to collectively bargain

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- In an effort to improve workers’ rights, Virginia Democrats have introduced two bills during this year’s General Assembly session to allow all public employees at both the state and local levels to collectively bargain.  “We need collective bargaining and we need it now,” Harry Szabo, an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University said at a press conference on Friday.  Currently, public workers are allowed to join a union, but they can’t collectively bargain for higher wages or better working conditions unless collective bargaining has been approved by their locality.  “What we are talking about here is the firefighters that save our homes. Educators who teach our kids. We are talking about the police that keep us safe,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax). That’s why Surovell and Delegate Kathy Tran (D-Fairfax) have introduced a bill to allow it for all public workers.  “It should be up to workers regardless of their zip code, regardless of the politics of their jurisdiction to have the exact same rights that those in the jurisdictions that have chosen to participate have,” Surovell said. However, Republicans like Senator Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg) oppose the idea, saying it should be left up to localities to decide if public workers can collectively bargain.  Plus, Peake said if public workers do collectively bargain, localities have no choice but to raise taxes on their residents.  “They collectively bargain for healthcare, for retirement, for vacation. So they get a lot of time off. They increase their retirement. Excess wages. The locality has to fund it,” Peake said.  The bill still restricts public sector workers’ ability to strike in Virginia.