Audio: Jeff Schapiro Correctly Points Out That “Right to Work” Laws Are “all about keeping labor weak,” and That Abigail Spanberger Has Said Unspecified “reforms may be necessary”

See below for audio of reporters Michael Pope and Jeff Schapiro this morning discussing so-called “Right to Work” laws in Virginia, and also what Abigail Spanberger’s position on these laws (according to Michael Pope, he couldn’t get an answer “for weeks” regarding Spanberger’s position on “Right to Work”; Jeff Schapiro said Spanberger is “splitting the difference…opposes full-on repeal” but “reforms may be necessary” – “doesn’t say what those reforms could be”; Schapiro adds, correctly, that “Right to Work” is “all about keeping labor weak…low wages, less generous benefits” ). For the record, I agree with the AFL-CIO on this – as follows :

• “‘Right to work’ is the name for a policy designed to take away rights from working people.”
• “The real purpose of right to work laws is to tilt the balance toward big corporations and further rig the system at the expense of working families.”
• etc.

Which is why I’m glad to see all of the Democratic candidates for Lt. Governor on this – stating that it’s time to ditch so-called “Right-to-Work” laws in Virginia.

Of course, the politics of this are very complicated, with Republicans attacking Spanberger over her supposedly not really being a “moderate,” but actually/supposedly being a deep-down “radical leftist” (or whatever nonsense they’re spewing these days), including supposedly being a tool of Big Labor. Of course, all of that is utterly ridiculous, but I understand why the Spanberger campaign is trying to defuse this issue, politically. So in her interview with Tyler Englander, I agree with Jeff Schapiro that Spanberger basically tried to “split the difference” on this, saying:

“I support labor. I support our strong Virginia economy. But no, I don’t support a full repeal of our current right-to-work statute…reforms may be necessary into the future.”

So that pretty much leaves Spanberger room to do whatever she thinks best if/when she’s governor, doesn’t commit her one way or the other, except that she expressed her opposition to “full repeal of our current right-to-work statute.” So she could, as governor, support a 99.9% repeal? A 50% repeal? Major reforms that boost labor? I mean, nothing she said to Tyler Englander ruled any of that out. But we just don’t know, and won’t really know unless/until the Virginia General Assembly sends legislation to Gov. Spanberger’s desk; then we’ll find out.

In the meantime, though, one thing we can be 100% certain of is that the 2025 Virginia GOP ticket is far-right in every way, including virulently anti-labor/pro-corporate. Which is why the choice this fall will be so clear: make Virginia a great place for business AND for workers (what Democrats want to do), or continue to keep labor – wages, working conditions, etc. – down (what Republicans want to do). No brainer.