A statement from LIUNA Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager Dennis L. Martire in response to a Virginia Senate Committee and House Subcommittee vote on a constitutional amendment to add "right to work" to Virginia's constitution:

Reston, Va. (January 28, 2025) - Committees in the Virginia House and Senate halted an anti-worker agenda by rejecting resolutions that would have moved the Commonwealth one step closer to enshrining “right to work” in the state constitution.

We commend the majority of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee that first rejected the resolution followed by the House Privileges and Elections Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee for using their votes to protect Virginia’s working families. Virginians have already spoken in a previous election that this is something that they do not want. Still, there are legislators who disregard their voices and continue to push for “right to work” despite the fact that it is proven to lower wages, benefits, safety, and the overall quality of life for working people.

Like the legislators who stopped these resolutions, LIUNA will not sit back and let legislation like "right to work" that suppresses workers' livelihoods go forward without a fight. If we want to advance working families across the Commonwealth then “right to work” cannot and should not advance.

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