On Election Day, in addition to the presidential election, Virginia voters will also vote on an important constitutional amendment regarding labor organization. If passed, the proposed amendment, misleadingly called a “right to work” law, would enshrine anti-union policies in the state’s constitution. Virginians should emphatically reject this amendment.
Virginia is one of 26 states with right to work laws, which forbid employers from forcing its employees to have either union or non-union membership before they are hired. However, the proposed amendment that will appear in November’s ballot only covers the former. This means that, as currently written, the amendment specifically looks to weaken union membership — an unfavorable policy that would further worsen labor organization in Virginia and significantly harm workers’ living conditions.
Right to work laws have been proven ineffective. Virginia Republicans supporting the amendment argue that right to work policies increase the number of jobs, despite the lack of agreement among studies on this claim. However, there are studies that have found these policies to be harmful to workers’ wages. Wages in right-to-work states are 3 percent lower than other states, which means workers in these states make $1,558 a year less than a typical worker, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute. If the General Assembly respects Virginian workers, implementing policies that have been proven to lower their wages shouldn’t even be a consideration.
While these policies may be instrumental in attracting investment to the state’s economy, we shouldn’t be willing to pay the price that comes with it. Also, right to work legislation isn’t the only method by which Virginia can attract investment and increase jobs — ensuring the development of a well-educated workforce and improving infrastructure would have similar effects.
Moreover, even those who support this policy should refrain from constitutionalizing it. Constitutions are inherently vague documents for a reason — and policy proposals should be considered as matters of policy, not of doctrine. Implementing policy via constitutional changes is anathema to good government.
As a result of shifting public sentiment toward these policies, Virginia Republicans are scrambling to make it harder for a future General Assembly to change them — a shameful political stunt that disregards the interests of Virginian workers. Instead of tying an anti-union policy to their constitution, Virginians should vote “no” on the proposed change to Section 11-A and explore other alternatives by which they can attract investment and increase jobs without compromising workers’ interests.
Read More
EDITORIAL: Celebrating and reflecting on The Cavalier Daily’s independence
By Editorial Board | 4 days agoOur independence grants us the ability to ask the hard questions and to say what University representatives cannot.
ARRAS: U.Va. must revise the Sexual Assault Prevention Training module
By Aoife Arras | 6 days agoIn addition to its failures in interactivity, the module lacks details specific to the University and discusses key concepts in universal terms.
EDITORIAL: Pedestrian safety is an institutional imperative
By Editorial Board | April 15, 2024Amid a national crisis of pedestrian safety, Charlottesville and the University are also struggling to properly maintain pedestrian safety.
