Will Democrat Governor Sabotage Virginia’s Economic Vitality?
Boosted by a flood of Big Labor money and manpower flowing into their campaigns from out of state, union-label Democrat politicians tightened their control over the Virginia General Assembly and seized control of the Commonwealth’s elected executive offices in November.
Almost as soon as the fall returns were in, vocal proponents of forced unionism, whose views are shared by only a small minority of Virginians, began calling on Democrat legislative leaders to seize the chance to destroy the Old Dominion’s 79-year-old Right to Work law.
Forced Dues-Funded Political Operatives Secured Spanberger Victory
But the reality is that incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger has no mandate to bring back forced union financial support as a job condition in Virginia. In fact, throughout the 2025 campaign, she never gave a straight answer about whether she would sign legislation eliminating employees’ treasured freedom to get and hold a job without bankrolling an unwanted union.
National Right to Work Committee Vice President John Kalb commented:
“Clearly, Abigail Spanberger knows that the army of forced dues-funded political operatives who invaded Virginia in 2025 made a huge difference in helping her Democrat party take over the state government.
“She undoubtedly hopes she and her fellow Democrat politicians will continue to benefit from the union bosses’ campaign largesse in the future.”
Faux Moderation Fooled Many Virginians
Mr. Kalb continued: “Notwithstanding campaign rhetoric crafted to give freedom-loving voters a false impression, Ms. Spanberger’s pro-forced unionism track record is clear.
“As a member of the U.S. House, she voted twice for the so-called ‘PRO Act,’ which would have destroyed the Virginia and every other state Right to Work law, and cosponsored it one last time before stepping down to run for governor.
“She also supported federal legislation to impose union monopoly bargaining on state and local governmental bodies all across the country.
“But during her run for governor, tacitly acknowledging that Right to Work is overwhelmingly supported by Virginia citizens, Ms. Spanberger sought to quell concerns she would destroy Right to Work by claiming she would oppose ‘full’ repeal.
“The danger is that this was just a rhetorical trick that left the door open for Ms. Spanberger to sign forced-dues legislation leaving Virginia as a Right to Work state in name only.
“Right to Work members must not be fooled by Ms. Spanberger’s faux moderation. But vast numbers of other citizens who oppose forced unionism clearly have been up to now.”
In the wake of the massive gains made by Big Labor Democrats in the state House of Delegates as well as Ms. Spanberger’s victory, the union bosses will attempt to collect on their investment.
They may be greedy enough to demand a full repeal bill go through the General Assembly in Richmond and dare Ms. Spanberger to veto it.
Or they may well go along with a phony compromise that would authorize the firing of independent-minded employees who refuse to pay forced union fees as a job condition, but formally allow them to remain union “nonmembers.”
Committee Will Oppose Right to Work Destruction, Regardless of the Label
Mr. Kalb commented: “Let’s be clear. Just as a woman can’t be ‘a little bit pregnant,’ workers in a state can either be forced to pay union dues, or they can’t. Committee members and supporters will strongly oppose Right to Work destruction, no matter how it is labeled.”
Right to Work has been the law in Virginia for almost 80 years, and that legacy until the last decade or so has been bipartisan.
A May 2025 survey of Virginia’s likely voters found 89% supported keeping Right to Work. This overwhelming support is due in part to a widespread understanding that the law has been a big plus for the commonwealth’s economy.
According to a thoroughly documented March 2025 article appearing in the Journal of Banking and Finance, states increase their venture capital (VC) investment 68-82% by adopting Right to Work laws.
If Virginia’s current elected officials go ahead with tossing this huge advantage away, it will send an alarming signal to all business investors.
Right to Work States’ 10-Year Total Employment Growth Over Double Forced-Dues States’
Mr. Kalb noted: “Across the U.S. as a whole, from 2014-24, the number of employed people grew more than twice as fast, in percentage terms, in the 23 states that had Right to Work laws on the books the whole decade as in forced-unionism states.
“And a recent analysis by the National Institute for Labor Relations Research shows that cost of living-adjusted household income, after factoring in combined state-local tax burdens, was roughly $3,300 higher in Right to Work states as a group than in forced-unionism states in 2023.
“Virginia’s mean cost of living- and tax-adjusted household income was more than $14,000 higher than the forcedunionism state average!”
Warning of Michigan’s Decline Post-Right to Work Repeal Should Be Heeded
Michigan’s bitter experience since its Right to Work repeal took effect in early 2024 should serve as a warning for Virginians.
In the decades prior to adopting Right to Work in early 2013, the Wolverine State had become an economic basket case, hemorrhaging jobs and consistently having some of the highest unemployment rates in the country.
After Right to Work went into effect, however, Michigan saw a major turnaround. From 2013 to 2018, its factory employment soared by 14.6%, or nearly triple the national average.
Beyond that, total state employment grew by nearly 11% over the decade it was law, and Michigan’s unemployment rate fell down to near the national average compared to the multiple decades before when it had regularly been well above it.
This all changed when the Right to Work repeal scheme rammed through by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democrats’ one-seat majorities in both chambers of the Legislature took effect at the beginning of 2024.
From January 2024 through January 2025, all 83 counties in the Wolverine State saw their unemployment rise.
Committee Launching Grassroots Effort to Save Right to Work
Mr. Kalb said that, despite the fact that Big Labor politicians will control all of Virginia’s elected statewide offices as well as majorities in the state House and Senate in 2026, the Committee still has a fighting chance to save Right to Work protections for employees through grassroots mobilization.
“To alert Virginians to the grave threat to their personal liberty and economic prosperity, the Committee plans to muster an army of citizens by mail, phone, and over the Internet in early 2026,” said Mr. Kalb.
“Consequently, even with union-label Democrat Ghazala Hashmi overseeing the Senate as lieutenant governor, and hate-filled Jay Jones serving as attorney general, Big Labor lobbyists may not be able to collect sufficient votes to ram through a Right to Work destruction scheme.
“Thanks to Committee members’ generous and loyal support, Right to Work is already girded to do battle against Big Labor as soon as a campaign to push forced-unionism legislation through the General Assembly is launched, as it almost certainly will be.
“The vast majority of rank-and-file Republicans, Democrats, and Independents from all walks of life and regions of Virginia understand it’s just plain wrong to force any employee to bankroll a union he or she doesn’t want just to get or keep a job.
“I’m cautiously optimistic their common sense will carry the day.”
This article was originally published in our monthly newsletter. Go here to access previous newsletter posts.
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