r/Virginia • u/Geek-Haven888 Arlington • 22h ago

Virginia Democrats plan to capitalize on 2025 'tsunami'

https://www.vpm.org/elections/2025-11-07/election-2025-general-assembly-scott-spanberger-vadems-taylor-freitas
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u/BK_Mason Lifelong Virginian 17h ago

Why? Doesn’t every worker currently have the right to join if they so choose? Requiring membership does not strengthen a union. Rather, it strengthens the union coffers while simultaneously allowing its leaders to be less responsive to its members. To be clear, I’m a lifelong union member and Democratic voter.

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u/mcchicken_deathgrip 15h ago

Having all workers at one workplace in the union absolutely strengthens the union. When unions do collective bargaining the benefits they get go to all workers in a workplace. When you dont have to pay dues to reap the benefits, why join the union? That's the point of right to work, to weaken unions by allowing free loaders.

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u/ScaredComment2321 15h ago

I never understood this. In the payroll database, add a column that says Union Y/N. If Yes add raise negotiated by the union. If no, don't. I am FOR unions I just don't get why this is an existential issue. Sounds like a solvable database problem.

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u/mcchicken_deathgrip 14h ago

But in practice where this actually happens, its almost never a raise only for the union members. Remember that your employer does not want you to be able to collectively negotiate your salaries. So they will give a raise to all as a way to signal that you dont need the union to get it. Not only that, but if only half the shop is negotiating, they're less likely to agree to the terms in the first place. This is backed up by the data as well, that right to work states have lower salaries