(Richmond, VA) Today, the Senate followed the House in passing two vote-from-home bills which improve Virginia's voting system. "These measures allow everyone the opportunity to vote and, at the same time, helps the USPS and strengthens the security of postal jobs. We believe it will increase the accessibility and ease of voting from home. It should be as simple as: vote early and you are done." - Thelma Hunt, NALC VA State Council President Our brothers and sisters with APW

Richmond, VA -- Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor had a full docket of House bills to vote on today; included on that list was House Bill 169 . HB 169 focuses on workers' compensation and occupational disease presumption, adding correctional officers to be covered by the law. The fight to give Correctional Officers this coverage since 2010, and today HB 169 , passed the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor with flying colors on a 15-0 vote; referring it directly to th

Richmond, VA – It’s a simple fact: for all Virginia workers, there is strength in numbers. Right to work is and has always been designed to divide working people and weaken unions. Looking back at how right to work has disenfranchised the working class of Virginia since 1947 and knowing its disgraceful, historical origin, we hoped the state would move in the right direction on repeal this session. Yet, Delegate Lee Carter’s House Bill 153 was left in the House Appropriations

Richmond, VA – We are now over 30 days into session, which means we are at the midway point where all the bills passed in the House of Delegates go over to the Senate for consideration and vice versa. This is what is referred to as: Crossover. So, what has happened so far? Well, this session has been a whirlwind . Of the 3,266 bills introduced, 1,850 passed at least one chamber. It’s been night and day compared to previous GAs and one thing is crystal clear: ELECTIONS MATTE

Richmond, VA -- A long day of session brought many ups and downs this Tuesday, as many people were on edge for the House Labor and Commerce Committee meetings. During the full committee, committee attendees had a huge win as minimum wage bill HB395 sponsored by Delegate Jeion Ward was reported out and referred to the House Committee on Appropriations with a 12-9 vote . Subcommittee #1 was the target as repeal right-to-work HB153 sponsored by Delegate Lee Carter was schedul

Richmond, VA -- Jason Parker, President of Virginia State Building Trades and Construction Council, alongside several of their affiliates took to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Monday evening and demanded that the legislature make the right decisions on worker rights. Senate Commerce and Labor Committee did the following: Prevailing Wage: SB 8 sponsored by Senator Dick Saslaw, requires contractors and subcontractors under any public contract with a state agency for

Richmond, VA - Today, the Senate passed SB 345 unanimously 40-0. Senate Bill 345 would give protection in the form of Workers Comp Presumption to Officers who face infectious disease risk every day while on the job. Many in Public Safety already have these protections but Corrections Officers have been forgotten for far too long. CWA/NCPSO have been fighting for this presumption for almost ten years with little success. But elections matter and this bill is now well on its w

Richmond, VA -- Tuesday night made for a long committee night during the House Committee on Labor and Commerce meeting as there were well-over 30 pieces of legislation to be heard and voted on. One key piece of legislation on the docket was House Bill (HB) 582 by Delegate Elizabeth Guzman. With over 40 delegates signed onto the bill, "Stronger Communities. Better Bargains," the coalition of labor unions working with the Delegate on the bill, showed up in full force to ensure

In Labor and Commerce subcommittee #1 , legislation to raise the minimum wage, provide paid family and medical leave, establish a prevailing wage, combat wage fraud and several other pro-worker bills passed and advanced to full committee or appropriations. House Bill 123 - Private Right of Action House Bill 395 - Raise the Minimum Wage House Bill 438 - Workers Compensation Presumption; PTSD House Bill 825 - Paid Family and Medical Leave House Bill 1203 - Prevailing Wage And

On Monday, the Virginia House of Delegates passed House Bill 10 (Sponsors- Delegates Simon and Price), the Student Loan Borrowers’ Bill of Rights. The scope of the issue of student loans is huge in Virginia; a report released early this year found that more than 1 million Virginians carry a total of $43 billion in student debt. “This legislation will help prioritize the interests of educators over loan servicers,” said Tina Williams, president of Fairfax County Federation of

Richmond, VA -- Monday, January 27, 2020 marked Virginia AFL-CIO's official lobby day following the kick-off of the Legislative Conference. Over 200 union delegates took to the Pocahontas Building and the Capitol fired up and ready to lobby on repeal of right to work ( HB 153 - Delegate Lee Carter); collective bargaining for public sector employees ( HB 582 - Delegate Elizabeth Guzman & SB 1022 - Senator Jennifer Boysko); minimum wage increase ( HB 395 - Delegate Jeion Wa

Richmond, VA -- Sunday evening, Virginia AFL-CIO kicked off their legislative conference with a full room of over 200 union members from across the state who all traveled to the city in preparation for the state-federation's lobby day on Monday. After registration, Delegates were led in a lobbying workshop led by Campaign Manager Julie Hunter and Communications Director Destiny LeVere where they gained more insight lobby day legislation, how to talk about the legislation wit

Richmond, VA- Today, the House passed HB 440 (Patron- Heretick) with a bi-partisan vote of 61-37 . For several sessions, SMART UTU and BLET have lobbied for passage of this common sense bill that requires a minimum two-person train crew as a matter of basic rail safety. Nearly 50 union members were at the General Assembly mobilizing support for the floor vote. They shared with Delegates their personal experience in the rail industry and the importance of proper crew sizes

Richmond, VA -- A very busy day at the General Assembly -- The Senate passed SB 601 sponsored by Senator Louis Lucas which eliminates Lee Jackson Day as a state holiday and makes Election Day a state holiday. The Senate also passed SB 17 sponsored by Senator Adam Ebbin which repeals statutory prohibitions on same sex marriages and civil unions. In the House Labor and Commerce committee today: HB 10 sponsored by Delegate Marcus Simon passed the committee with a 15-3 vote. Fa

Richmond, VA- By an overwhelming vote of 31-9 , Virginia's State Senate passed Senate Bill 111 expanding access to absentee voting for 45 days prior to any election for all registered Virginia voters, removing the need to list an excuse to vote early. This legislation is one of many measures the General Assembly is pursuing this session to make our democracy more accessible, secure and fair. Click to see how Senators Voted

Richmond, VA -- Sheet Metal Air Rail and Transportation (SMART) union members stood together in solidarity in support of Delegate Steve Heretick (D-79)'s H.B. 440 - "railroads freight train crew size requirements, civil penalty" during the House Labor and Commerce Committee meeting today. [Pictured left to right: (1) SMART members standing in solidarity during the bill hearing; (2) SMART member taking stride after presenting his own personal narrative and experience on trai

Richmond, VA -- Today, Thursday January 16th, Virginia’s public service workers from several unions were in Richmond to speak about what the right to collective bargaining would mean for them and for their communities. We believe that stronger communities lead to a stronger Virginia. How do we accomplish that? By giving all Virginia workers the right to join a union and bargain for fair pay and safe working conditions. Delegate Elizabeth Guzman's bill - H.B. 582 does just th

Richmond, VA -- Today in Senate's General Laws and Technology Committee, Senator Bill DeSteph (R-8) presented his bill S.B. 371 - Apprentice agreements; ratio of journeymen to apprentices (introduced last year as S.B. 1169) . This bill if enacted would decrease and limit the ratio of journeymen to registered apprentices creating highly unsafe and disastrously dangerous learning and working environments. Several Virginia State Building Construction Trades Council members were

Richmond, VA -- Virginia AFL-CIO launches a new website titled "Labor In Session" to start the 2020 General Assembly Session. "We must take full advantage of this moment to push a robust pro-worker agenda focused on moving Virginia from the worst state for workers to the best," says Julie Hunter, Virginia AFL-CIO Campaign Manager. This website is designed to help empower union activists and allies to advocate for legislation that expands the right to organize, protects worke

Richmond, VA -- Today, January 15, 2020, history was made in the Commonwealth! Both chambers of the General Assembly passed HJR 1 and SJR 1 which ratified the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution. Doris Crouse-Mays, President of Virginia AFL-CIO said: "This ratification, is such an amazing historic and symbolic win as we have just celebrated the centennial year of the women's suffrage movement's passage of the 19th amendment. Finally, women will be repre