Highlights in the wake of Sunday’s Virginia AFL-CIO Legislative Conference and Monday’s Labor Lobby Day -- A bill that allows workers to sue for unpaid wages with potential for triple back pay passed in subcommittee after the Carpenters came out in force to testify in favor of the bill (HB 515). A workers’ comp bill (HB 1245) that reforms the cancer presumption for firefighters and other workers passed the House committee. Also under consideration: HB 1543, which tackles one of the worst injustices of the Virginia workers’ comp system; HB 951, uniting environmentalists, labor and consumer advocates to ban the sale in Virginia of furniture and other items containing toxic, carcinogenic flame retardant chemicals; HB 1562 and SB 968 increase penalties that the Virginia Employment Commission can impose on companies committing payroll fraud. Labor advocates in Richmond are also lobbying to increase teacher pay, expand Medicaid, and fund Metro.
photo: Virginia AFL-CIO legislative conference attendees; courtesy NoVA Labor
photo: Virginia AFL-CIO legislative conference attendees; courtesy NoVA Labor