Public sector workers in VA are currently denied the right to bargain collectively and have a say in their own working conditions. Not only does this harm workers, who make significantly lower wages and salaries than their private sector counterparts, it harms our public sector institutions. Schools, universities, transit organizations, firefighters, city governments, and more are not able to recruit or retain the best people to do their vital work. As a university employee, I care deeply about the services I provide to our students and community, and I know my colleagues do too. However, it is to provide a high level of service when my colleagues are commuting over an hour because they can't afford to live where they work; are not paid on time because they don't have an enforceable contract; or are afraid of losing their jobs due to capricious decisions by university administrators. Collective bargaining allows public sector workers to have a seat at the table to improve their own working conditions and improve the institutions they work at. These institutions are vital to the continued functioning of our commonwealth, and collective bargaining is the next necessary step to take.

Please do not support any of these three bills: HB 2089, HB 2495, and HB 2764. If passed, any of them will cause many problems for the vast majority of Virginia's citizens. We do NOT need collective bargaining in the Commonwealth. I am speaking from experience as a retired City of Virginia Beach employee with over thirty-three years of service. Thank you. Thomas K. Tillman

Vote NO to collective bargaining!! There is nothing good that will come from this!

Please do not mandate unions to collectively bargain for public employees. Theres a reason residents are leaving the high taxes states like New York Public services such as policing the streets and putting out fires gives government a monopoly. Collective bargaining is not about a seat at the table or customer service, it's about control. Unions work everyday to take control over the very governments that employ their members. They run up the cost of government, taxpayers are left out of the process while negoications take the decision-making authority over government functions away from the people's elected representatives and transferring them to union officials, with whom the public has vested no such authority. There is a difference between private and public unions. the private sector has to compete in the market place to keep cost down, they could go out of business if customers choose to shop elsewhere, the public sector on the other hand has no such controls. While the private sector makes money, the public sector spends money they don't go out of business their only choice is to raise taxes or reduce services. Collective bargaining is adversarial you don't just sit down and negotiate a contract every 3 years. In between there are grievances, charges, labor disputes, disagreements on contract language. Unions work every day to gain power to exert control over the very governments that employs their members. They will take control over working shifts, hours, conditions, equipment; they will insist management needs to consult with them before implementing rules any of kind. Non-union employees will be given the worst assignments and shifts to convince them to join they also don't like voluteers as many of our EMS are. It's not about customer service Even though striking is not allowed Unions will threaten to walk out, "work the rule", call in sick or do work slowdowns. Didn't the teacher’s union keep schools closed for almost two years during Covid? The National Unions have years of experience our localities do not! Unions will insert language that benefits them not taxpaers or management into contracts like: Arbitration: taking decision making away from management puts a third party in control, terminations and even discipline can be overturned or Tenure, making it nearly impossible to fire a bad teacher as in NY. Organizational leave: so union members can attend union conferences, Fairfax County Public Schools paid $5.8 million in 2016 for “organizational leave” to teacher’s union officials. Access to employee information; a violation of privacy rights and loss of productivity as they will want to meet with employees during working hours. Automatic Payroll deduction of union dues and rules limiting when employees can decline paying them. An Evergreen clause, simply stated a contract stays in effect until a new one is agreed to, which gives them NO Incentive to come to the table during a financial crisis or recession. During a downturn in the economy Miami thought that and declare a financial crisis changing their union contracts, the police union sued them saying they hadn't fired non-unions employees, raised taxes or put in street cameras, their supreme court agreed. In 2008 Vallejo California tried for 2 years to negotiate with their unions they finally filed bankruptcy. During Covid the city of Cincinnati had to furlough over 1700 people, the unions would not agree to renegoiate their contracts.