The government union threat to good government in Virginia

Washington Examiner ^ | February 15, 2025 | Staff

[C19fan]

More than 50,000 students in San Francisco sat at home this week learning nothing because their teachers, who are members of the United Educators of San Francisco, refused to work until they won higher pay and more generous benefits. San Francisco teachers are already among the highest paid in the nation, even though more than a quarter of students are chronically absent and more than half fail math and reading. More and more students are abandoning public schools and going to private ones. Who can blame them?

Across the country in Virginia, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Democratic majorities in the state General Assembly want to import California's chaotic, bloated, and corrupt mess. In April 2020, former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation giving Virginia localities, including counties and cities, the ability to adopt collective bargaining agreements with public-sector employees. Fairfax County, once a fiscally responsible jurisdiction that ran regular surpluses, entered into its first collectively bargained contract with the Fairfax Education Union. Teachers got a 7% pay raise, and taxpayers got stuck with a $300 million deficit.

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TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: corruption; democrat; democrats; union; unions; virginia

[C19fan]

I grew up in New York, went to school in Massachusetts and New Jersey, and lived in California for 10 years. If this comes to pass, mandatory public union collective bargaining will break the back of Virginia. I really enjoyed living in Virginia but now I only hope I can hold out until retirement.

[Merrick]

Stop using MSN links for stories from good publications.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/4456646/government-union-threat-good-government-virginia/

[Right_Wing_Madman]

I grew up in New York, went to school in Massachusetts and New Jersey, and lived in California for 10 years...I really enjoyed living in Virginia but now I only hope I can hold out until retirement.

You've lived in five crap states.

Okay, that's unfair. I liked southern New Jersey some years back.

[DeplorablePaul]

Back in the 1990s Ct passed the Education Enhancement Act which awarded teachers a 27% raised. The cost was passed on to property owners. Taxes went steadily up and academic achievement went steadily down. One of the big Democrat lies is that more money invested will result in better education. The scam is that the money goes to teacher unions which elect more Democrats.

Defund public education. We have to burn the village to save it.

[TokarevM57]

....I, too, grew up in upstate New York; lived in Virginia for over 43 years, and have been a resident of The Lone Star State for almost 12 years....the Virginia that I loved no longer exists....and it appears that under Commissar Spanberger’s rule, the Commonwealth will have 10 Democrat cong. districts and only one Republican....very sad.....

[Merrick]

I think best guess is 50/50 right now on what the Virginia Supreme Court will do.

[Colt1851Navy]

Virginia Democrats had rather destroy the state than let Republicans build it up. Progs are sickos

[FrozenAssets]

I can’t find it now, but some years ago I saw a chart that showed an inverse relationship between NEA membership and SAT scores.

[P8riot]

Having lived in Virginia for the last 40+ years, it is my experience that when the Republicans are in power, they don’t do anything to reverse the damage done by Democrats. It’s ridiculous.