Overview
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed HB 1263 and SB 378, measures that would have created a Public Employee Relations Board and required public employers statewide to negotiate with certified unions.
- Before the veto, she returned the bills with a rewrite that delayed the mandate until 2030 and phased in bargaining starting with state workers, but lawmakers rejected those amendments.
- Labor groups, including the Teamsters and Virginia Professional Fire Fighters, condemned the move and said it denies bargaining rights to hundreds of thousands of public employees.
- Republican leaders and several local officials praised the veto, pointing to a state estimate of roughly $25 million in yearly costs and arguing the bills would have overridden local control.
- Under current law, public workers can bargain only if their locality opts in, and reporters note just seven localities have approved such bargaining so far.