Last April, a series of union members praised Abigail Spanberger, then a candidate for governor, at a rally in Eastern Henrico. As they did, they continually plugged a top priority for organized labor in the 2025 elections: collective bargaining.
“Thank you, Ms. Spanberger, for standing alongside us to give us a voice to fight on our jobs. Thank you, and together, we will elect you as the next governor of Virginia,” said Sharon Gilbert, an administrative office associate at Richmond’s William Fox Elementary School and a member of the Richmond Education Association.
It was Spanberger’s first public event as the Democratic nominee. She spoke about collective bargaining, but stopped short of committing that day to sign any bill that made it to her desk…