VA Governor: Veto HB 582 and SB 939 that Undermine Freedom and Will Cost Taxpayers $3 Billion*

The Governor can act this week to VETO these bills. A Northam Veto will allow state, county, and city officials to focus their planning on the way forward during this crisis. Otherwise, they will need to deal with new burdens and new disruptions the Governor foisted on all state, county, and city workplaces in the Commonwealth.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has opportunity to rescue state, county and city employees from the Virginia Legislators’ imposition of government workplace disruption. Governor could act this week and veto the harmful legislation contained in House Bill 582 and Senate Bill 939; and let government officials focus on dealing with the state’s Coronavirus crisis.

Never is the time to add this stifling burden into government workplaces. And, certainly the next few years would be the worse time to add major disruptions into every government workplace in Virginia.

The following is a recent letter sent by National Right to Work Committee President Mark Mix:

The Hon. Ralph Northam

RE:  House Bill 582 and Senate Bill 939              

POSITION:  Veto

Dear Governor Northam:

     Please find enclosed an April 2 article from the Nevada Independent on union officials threatening legal action against the Clark County Commission for suspending union contracts in light of the current crisis.

     The fact is, government union monopoly bargaining is always wrong, which is why I’d written earlier, urging you to veto House Bill 582-Senate Bill 939.

     But the current crisis over COVID-19 puts into sharp focus how granting union officials monopoly power over government workers makes for bad public policy:

  • Politico reported on March 25 on all the trouble California school districts are having negotiating distance learning with teacher’s union bosses;
  • SEIU Local 1107’s threats in Nevada to sue to enforce its contracts with Clark County; and
  • Minnesota Governor Tim Walz forced to deal with union contracts covering some 50,000 state employees.

     The fact is, the rigid work rules that go hand-in-hand with monopoly bargaining make effective crisis management all the harder for governments around the country.

     Meanwhile, with state and local revenues likely to plunge in the present economic dislocation, taxpayers can’t afford the cost of bargaining.  The Heritage Foundation found costs of $3,000 more per family of four as a result of passing union monopoly bargaining statewide.

     And that’s unacceptable.

     That’s why I urge you again to veto House Bill 582 and Senate Bill 939.

Sincerely,

                                   Mark Mix, President

*The Heritage Foundation found costs of $3,000 more per family of four as a result of passing union monopoly bargaining statewide. In 2016 Virginia, there were 994,555 families with 1,829,382 children according the NCCP, thus approximating: $2,983,665,000 = (994,555 families of four) x ($3,000 more per family of four).

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