Virginia AFL-CIO Responds to Gubernatorial Candidate Spanberger’s Refusal to Support Repeal of Virginia’s So-Called “Right to Work” Law

RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia AFL-CIO expresses deep disappointment in gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger’s public refusal to support the repeal of Virginia’s so-called “Right to Work” law—a Jim Crow-era policy is union-busting, plain and simple, designed to destroy unions and silence workers.

At a time when working families are demanding dignity, protections, and a stronger voice in the workplace, it is unacceptable for any elected official—especially one who claims to stand with working people—to defend a law that undermines those very principles.

“For more than seven decades, Virginia’s so-called ‘Right to Work’ law has done nothing but erode worker power, suppress wages, and shield corporations from accountability,” said Doris Crouse-Mays, President of the Virginia AFL-CIO. “This law was born out of racism and classism, and it continues to serve the interests of CEOs over communities. If you say you stand with workers, you cannot defend this law.”

President Crouse-Mays continued: “Our message is clear: Repealing ‘Right to Work’ is not a political talking point—it is a moral imperative. Virginia’s workers deserve elected leaders who will fight shoulder to shoulder with them, not those who hedge when it matters most.”

The Virginia AFL-CIO remains firmly committed to the repeal of “Right to Work” in the Commonwealth. We will continue to educate, mobilize, and hold accountable those who seek our endorsement or support, based on their willingness to truly stand with workers.

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Virginia AFL-CIO is a labor organization that represents over 330,000 union members and their families within the Commonwealth. VA AFL-CIO is a state federation of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) working tirelessly to improve the lives of working people.