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Virginia’s latest push to expand public-sector labor rights ended Thursday, May 14, when Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed HB 1263, prompting union leaders to accuse her of abandoning a campaign promise.

The legislation sought to establish statewide collective bargaining for more than 500,000 public employees, including firefighters, teachers, and state and local government workers. It would have allowed them to negotiate over wages, benefits, and working conditions by overturning existing bargaining bans.

Del. Kathy Tran of Fairfax sponsored HB 1263, while Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell of Fairfax introduced the identical SB 378.

Spanberger proposed a substitute version in April that would have postponed bargaining until 2030 for local employees whose governments had not already reached an agreement. The General Assembly rejected that delay on April 22 and returned the original legislation to her.

In her veto statement, Spanberger said her amendments would have preserved a path to collective bargaining while giving public employers more flexibility. She noted that lawmakers declined to accept those changes.

Labor organizations contrasted the veto with Spanberger’s April 8, 2025, statement that she looked forward to working with the General Assembly so more Virginians could negotiate for earned benefits and fair treatment.

“Collective bargaining is not a privilege — it is a right,” Service Employees International Union leaders said. They maintained that Spanberger had met with union members, supported their cause, and then broken her promise.

International Association of Fire Fighters General President Edward Kelly called the veto a setback for workers who trusted Spanberger to deliver. He said firefighters keep their word on the job and argued that the governor had failed to do the same.

Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said Spanberger’s decision showed why unions must demand more from elected officials.

The veto followed a May 6 rally in Fairfax, where SEIU Virginia 512 President LaNoral Thomas tied collective bargaining to the state’s affordability challenges. She said the public servants who keep Virginia operating must be able to afford to live in the communities they serve.

Fairfax County Supervisor Dalia Palchick of Providence said active unions help stabilize the economy and warned that workers are vulnerable without labor protections.

Thomas also pointed to the history of Virginia’s restrictions, saying the collective bargaining ban enacted more than 45 years ago followed an effort by a group of Black women at the University of Virginia to secure bargaining rights.

With HB 1263 vetoed, the law enacted in 2021 remains in effect. Collective bargaining will continue to be optional for individual municipalities, which may authorize it through local ordinances.