Pro-Worker Laws Targeted for Rollback in Virginia Regime Change

Workplace law in Virginia is poised to undergo a conservative shift starting this week as Republicans reclaim control of the state House and governor’s office, potentially affecting issues from minimum wage to on-the-job vaccine mandates.

The state’s labor and employment policies tilted in employees’ favor over the past two years, under Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and Democratic leadership in both chambers of the state legislature. Lawmakers raised the minimum wage, expanded anti-bias laws to cover sexual orientation and gender identity, opened the door to collective bargaining rights for local government employees, and strengthened the state’s enforcement powers against wage ...