The Latest from VEA

The House of Delegates today passed Del. Elizabeth Guzman HB582, a VEA-backed bill that would permit collective bargaining between school divisions and their employees.

“Students benefit when teachers and other school professionals have a voice to advocate for students and public schools,” said Jim Livingston, president of the 40,000-member Virginia Education Association. “In other states with collective bargaining, educators and school districts have negotiated agreements that lowered class sizes, provided for extra resources for students, and addressed school health and safety issues. Collective bargaining is good for students, good for educators, good for schools, and good for Virginia communities.”

Virginia is one of only three states (North and South Carolina are the others) which forbid public employees from engaging in collective bargaining.

Of the top 15 states in U.S News & World Report’s school rankings, all but one—Virginia—permit collective bargaining between teachers and school support professionals and their local employers. “Collective bargaining and quality go hand-in-hand,” said Livingston. “We will continue to work tirelessly to win collective bargaining rights for our members and for all public sector workers in the Commonwealth.”

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