Washington, D.C. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has a major opportunity in her first year to deliver the biggest expansion of workplace rights for Virginia workers in decades, according to the Center for American Progress.
Virginia lawmakers are expected to revisit legislation in 2026 that would grant full collective bargaining rights to roughly 574,000 state and local government workers, including teachers, corrections officers, social workers, and public safety employees. Similar legislation was vetoed last session by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), leaving the decision squarely in the hands of Governor-elect Spanberger.
“Governor-elect Spanberger can send a clear signal early in her term that she’s on the side of working Virginians who want a stronger voice on the job,” said Karla Walter, senior fellow for the American Worker Project at CAP and author of the analysis. “Extending collective bargaining rights would help workers earn more, strengthen public services, and align Virginia with the values of Americans, who overwhelmingly support unions.”
Expanding public sector collective bargaining would:
- Boost pay and narrow persistent wage gaps. Public sector workers earn less than comparable private sector workers, but the earnings gap is 8 percentage points smaller in states with strong collective bargaining rights than in states with none.
- Help address Virginia’s staffing crisis. More than 1 in 5 state government positions were vacant in 2024, according to the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management. Research consistently shows unionized public workers are significantly less likely to leave their jobs.
- Deliver broader public benefits while lowering hidden costs. Stronger worker standards for public workers reduce reliance on safety net programs: One study found low-paid public school cafeteria workers relied on an average of $1,743 per year in public assistance due to insufficient wages.
- Align with public opinion. Support for unions is near historic highs nationwide, with younger workers showing the strongest support, reflecting values that increasingly cut across party lines.
By backing public sector collective bargaining, Governor-elect Spanberger and the Virginia General Assembly can deliver a defining early win for working families and demonstrate a clear commitment to workers who want a stronger voice on the job.
Read the issue brief: “Virginia Workers’ Biggest Win in Decades Could Come in 2026” by Karla Walter
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Christian Unkenholz at [email protected].