Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger vetoed legislation on Thursday that would have restored collective bargaining rights for about 50,000 public sector workers in the state. The bill had passed both chambers of Virginia's general assembly by majority votes.

Spanberger introduced an amended version of the bill last month, but the general assembly rejected it. An analysis from the Economic Policy Institute said the amended bill would lock Virginia into an unstable, ineffective system in which collective bargaining would remain optional.

"I remain committed to continuing to work with the General Assembly, unions, localities and public servants across the Commonwealth to develop a public sector collective bargaining system that works for Virginia. However, I believe additional amendments are needed to the enrolled bill currently before me," Spanberger said.

In February, a month after entering office, Spanberger attended a rally in support of the collective bargaining bill held by the Service Employees International Union. Union leaders responded to the veto by referencing that appearance.

"Collective bargaining is not a privilege – it is a right. Governor Spanberger looked workers in the eye, met with our members, affirmed her support, and made a promise. Today, she broke it," said April Verrett, LaNoral Thomas and Jaime Contreras, leaders of the Service Employees International Union.

Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, also criticized the decision. "Governor Spanberger campaigned on the promise to end this historic injustice. But she has broken that promise by vetoing legislation that would have finally granted most state and local workers the freedom to collectively bargain," Saunders said. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is the largest union of public sector workers in the United States, with 1.4 million members.

Of Virginia's 11,000 firefighters, about 8,000 to 9,000 do not have collective bargaining rights because their municipalities have not opted into providing them. Former Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed similar collective bargaining legislation last year.

Virginia banned public sector collective bargaining in 1948 in response to a group of Black workers organizing a union at the University of Virginia hospital. Before 2021, Virginia was one of only three states with a blanket ban on collective bargaining for public sector workers. In 2021, the state passed a law that permits local governments to enact their own collective bargaining systems. Collective bargaining for state government workers remains illegal in Virginia.