New legislation now allows local public employees to collectively bargain

RICHMOND (May 1, 2021) – Attorney General Herring released the below statement celebrating legislation that he and his team worked with Delegate Elizabeth Guzman on that allows public employees to collectively bargain. The legislation was enacted into law today:

“Virginia’s workers are the backbone of our economy and our communities. Now, local public employees have the ability to be recognized as a labor union, allowing themselves to organize and advocate for the benefits they deserve,” said Attorney General Herring. “I am proud to have worked alongside Delegate Guzman and other labor advocates to craft this important legislation and ensure its passage. For too long, Virginia’s worker protection laws have been too weak, and I will continue this fight to strengthen protections for the people who keep our communities moving forward.”

During his time in office, Attorney General Herring says he has worked hard to protect workers in Virginia. In March, Attorney General Herring announced the designation of the Virginia Attorney General’s first Worker Protection Unit, a multidisciplinary team of prosecutors and attorneys within the Office of Attorney General, led by a dedicated criminal prosecutor, that focuses on investigating, stopping, and prosecuting individuals and businesses who unlawfully engage in worker exploitation, in addition to educating Virginia workers on their rights. As its first area of focus, the team is focusing on worker misclassification, wage theft, and payroll fraud, and work to coordinate efforts across state government with the goal of bringing cases and enforcement actions to stop worker exploitation.