VA Labor Lobbies Legislature

More than 150 union members from across the commonwealth hit Capitol Hill in Richmond on Monday as part of the annual Virginia AFL-CIO Legislative Conference. They focused on three specific measures when they spoke to their legislators – raising the state’s minimum wage, the need for House and Senate districts to be drawn by a non-partisan panel, and Buy American – as well as issues of specific interest to their individual locals... 

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The participants gathered Sunday evening to receive marching orders from Virginia AFL-CIO President Doris Crouse-Mays. They also heard from US Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Lt Governor Ralph Northam,  Attorney General Mark Herring, Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw and House Minority Leader David Toscano. The Lt. Governor focused on the importance of a strong workforce development system and k-12 education system, while the Attorney General focused on the need to keep state pensions for state employees, putting an end to “paycheck deception,” and last year’s successful effort to prevent passage of the Anti-Dream Act bill. Monday evening, Gov. Terry McAuliffe greeted union members at a reception for elected officials.
- Maya Goines; photos: (top) Roxie Mejia, Painters District 51, with Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe; (bottom): union members caucus;  photos by Maya Goines (top) and Dan Duncan (bottom)

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