More From the VR “I Told you So Department”!

I TOLD YOU SO!

What did Blogger Sanders write before the election that the people of Virginia ignored? That teachers and other public employees would be allowed to unionize and could go on strike – with ruinous fiscal consequences for local governments.

Well, from the ITYS department, here are real bills (hat tip to Patrick Henry TP for a wonderful list of bills) introduced by real Democrats that will do exactly that:

House Bill 327 (Del. Levine – D) does this: Authorizes state and local government officers, agents, and governing bodies to recognize any labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agent of any public officers or employees and to collectively bargain with any such union or association.

This bill will overrule the Virginia Supreme Court decision that says local governments need authority to collectively bargain with local government unions. Such contracts are VOID.

House Bill 582 (Del. Guzman – D) is worse! Read this summary (emphasis mine!):

Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which will determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The measure requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The measure repeals a provision enacted in 2013 that declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees, the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement.

What happened to democracy? I guess union bosses count more than employee liberty. This bill will set up something like an NLRB for public employees. Massive bureaucracy and higher local government budgets with taxes rising too.

Local government leaders of both parties ought to be alarmed. Will they fight it? They better – or budgets will be busted and taxes will go up.