The gubernatorial campaign staff of Democrat Lee Carter voted unanimously to unionize last week, a first in the history of Virginia gubernatorial campaigns.
Del. Carter has recognized United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 as representatives of his staff in negotiations.
In 2019, Carter’s House of Delegates campaign staff became the first in Virginia history to form a union. UFCW Local 400 represented Carter’s 2019 campaign workers as well.
Carter’s legislative agenda has long centered around workers rights; he’s introduced bills to reform Virginia’s workers’ compensation system, allow worker cooperatives, allow Virginia educators to strike, and repeal Virginia’s anti-worker “right to work” law.
This session, Carter made an unusual procedural motion to discharge “right to work” repeal to the House floor, though House leadership swiftly put an end to that effort.