CWA Public Sector Workers Help Lift Bargaining Ban

Earlier this month, lawmakers in Virginia passed legislation lifting a 1948 ban on public sector collective bargaining, opening the door to union contracts for half a million public sector workers, including many CWA members. The historic legislation will apply to public educators, firefighters, corrections officers, maintenance workers, and others employed by local governments, school boards, and state agencies. The bill falls short, however, of extending contract bargaining to university faculty and other non-service employees in higher education.

CWA members and retirees have long lobbied against the ban, citing the need for public sector members to be able to bargain effectively for better pay, improved healthcare, and better working conditions. The bill will now go to Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger’s desk for signing. The governor has the authority to make changes to the legislation and send it back to the Virginia General Assembly for further consideration.

According to CWA Director of Government Affairs Dan Mauer, members and retirees will continue to work with Virginia legislators and the governor’s office to fight for university workers.

Donations to the CWA Political Action Fund (PAF) have allowed for activist mobilizations and lobbying to keep the needs of our public sector members at the forefront of legislative concerns. Those actions have paved the way for recent wins on a range of issues in Virginia, including raising the minimum wage, a heat standard bill, paid sick days, paid medical family leave, a wage theft bill, Sunday voting, and more.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.