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I was inspired to revisit this piece on repealing Right-to-Work laws after the issue resurfaced in the gubernatorial race—and after some centrist Democrats began blaming unions for obstructing the so-called “Abundance Agenda.” [ [link removed] ]
The original version appeared in 2019 on Blue Virginia [ [link removed] ], just before the first session of the Virginia General Assembly with a Democratic trifecta in nearly 30 years. Unfortunately, not much has changed.
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You may recall the 2019 Oxfam study that ranked Virginia dead last—51st, including D.C.—as the worst state for working people in America [ [link removed] ]. Since then, Democrats have worked hard to improve those rankings. After holding the trifecta from 2020 to 2021 and gaining majorities again in both chambers in 2023, Virginia has climbed to 26th. And while many tout the minimum wage increase to $15/hour by 2025 (which Governor Glenn Youngkin has delayed), much more must be done to support working people in the Commonwealth.
Raising the minimum wage is a good start. But we have to ask:
What’s stopping employers from slashing benefits to make up for wage hikes?
What’s protecting workers from wage theft or wrongful termination?
What guarantees that employers honor contracts or bargain in good faith?
Right now, the answer is: nothing.
🧠 How We Got Here
During the 1940s, as union membership surged in the wake of the Great Depression and the U.S. war effort, employers began pushing back. Workers were gaining bargaining power, and business leaders weren’t happy about it.
In response, they championed legislation like the Taft-Hartley Act, passed in 1947 over President Truman’s veto. Ostensibly about worker “freedom,” this bill allowed states to pass laws banning union security agreements. But behind the scenes, it was also deeply rooted in racism. Many business leaders—and segregationists—used the law to protect white workers from organizing alongside Black workers. These are the roots of so-called “Right-to-Work” laws.
So when lawmakers defend Virginia’s status as the “#1 state for business” (until this last week when we fell to #4 because the Trump Admin’s DOGE cuts”) by clinging to Right-to-Work, remember: they’re defending a racist, anti-worker legacy. That alone should be enough reason to repeal it.
But the harm goes much deeper.
💸 The Real-World Costs of Right-to-Work
Unequal Pay for Equal Work
Without union protections, employers can—and do—pay workers differently for the same job based on gender, disability, or race. Without contracts or collective bargaining, those workers have no real recourse.
Wage Theft and Benefit Cuts
Wage theft is widespread in Virginia, and few employers face consequences. Workers are afraid to speak out, fearing retaliation or termination. Legal representation is often out of reach. Even laws like the $15 minimum wage mean little without enforcement or organizing power behind them.
Workers’ Compensation Fails First Responders
Virginia’s workers’ comp system places the burden on the worker to prove when, where, and how an injury occurred. That’s nearly impossible for chronic injuries—like a firefighter’s back pain from years of carrying 80 pounds of gear—or for PTSD experienced by law enforcement and emergency workers. Even occupational illnesses like cancer can go uncovered unless a worker can cite a specific fire, on a specific day, with measurable toxins. It’s absurd.
If you’re someone who claims to “back the blue,” it’s worth asking: are you backing them with words, or with action?
🤝 Why Unions Matter
Some ask, “Why can’t workers just sue?” Easy—because most working people can’t afford to. Legal fees alone can bankrupt a family. Employers keep lawyers on retainer. Workers have no such luxury.
That’s where unions come in.
Unions negotiate fair contracts, advocate for worker protections, and offer legal resources. They help level the playing field. A single worker may not stand up to their boss—but hundreds can. And despite common myths:
Wildcat strikes are illegal.
No one can be forced to join a union.
You don’t have to join—but you won’t get all the benefits either.
Unions are not the boogeymen corporate lobbyists claim. They’re often the only safeguard workers have.
🔵 Where Democrats Must Lead
In 2016, when a Right-to-Work constitutional amendment was on the ballot, Democrats—including then-Governor Terry McAuliffe—campaigned against it. Voters agreed. The measure failed statewide.
So why are so many Democrats still afraid to repeal this law?
On the campaign trail, many General Assembly candidates promised to do so. Now they hold the power to deliver. Yet we still hear calls for “moderation,” “caution,” and fear of “overreach.”
If we’re not going to use our majority to stand up for working people, what are we doing?
Wouldn’t it be better to lose after doing the right thing than to win on empty promises?
Democrats can’t keep treating labor as a political backdrop. If we’re serious about being the party of workers, we need to act like it.
🧾TL;DR
We must make repealing Right-to-Work a top priority.
We can’t just be the “#1 state for business.” Let’s be #1 for workers, too.
Labor helped put Democrats in power. We can’t turn our backs now.
To borrow a line from Pete Buttigieg: my generation may be the first to be worse off than our parents. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Let’s start fixing it—by fighting for economic justice and the dignity of all workers.
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