Right now, local governments in Virginia can decide whether or not to allow city employees to unionize.
But a state law could make unions for public employees automatic, even as some cities such as Newport News decide if or how to allow such unions.
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones told WAVY News earlier this year that collective bargaining would be put to a vote. He said that the power to collectively bargain is something that should be decided at the local level and not be taken by a state mandate.
“Newport News will be voting on collective bargaining through local action in the coming months, and I am confident it will pass City Council,” Jones told WAVY at the time. The topic hasn’t come to the city council for discussion or decision.
Newport News doesn’t allow government employees to unionize. Locally, only Portsmouth allows collective bargaining among its employees, a policy the City Council approved in 2024.
All mayors of Hampton Roads’ seven cities region signed a letter opposing House Bill 1263, which creates a Public Employee Relations Board to aid in unionization. The legislation passed the General Assembly and is awaiting action by Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
Local mayors and other opponents said the power to decide on collective bargaining for public employees should remain with local governments rather than be state-mandated.
On May 1, Chesapeake Mayor Rick West, Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover, Suffolk Mayor Mike Duman and Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer sent another letter to Spanberger about their concerns. The four mayors said the legislation is “unworkable for local governments.”
“These issues risk undermining effective local governance, fiscal responsibility and service delivery to our residents,” the letter reads. “We believe these challenges are not minor technical fixes, but rather fundamental concerns that warrant a more deliberate and collaborative approach.”
Newport News has struggled to make any momentum with collective bargaining. The city set up a task force in 2025 that recommended creating five bargaining units. City council hasn’t voted on any of the task force’s recommendations.
The lack of progress has annoyed Dante Strobino, organizing coordinator for Virginia and North Carolina with the Southern Worker Justice Campaign.
“There's been nothing to move it forward,” he said. “It's just been empty promises from the mayor, saying that he wants to get this done, but the mayor sets the agenda. He could put [the bargaining units] on the agenda tomorrow if he wanted to, but he's not done that.”
The city declined to comment on collective bargaining.
Strabino said he believes that collective bargaining will benefit the city.
“When workers feel included in decision making, and when workers have a real seat at the table, with the union, with collective bargaining, and they get to have input on policies and have input on wages, it retains the most senior and qualified folks,” Strabino said.
Collective bargaining can retain people the city has invested in, Strabino said.
“When workers are paid well, they are going to spend money in their communities … It helps the tax revenue, local small businesses, and supports the local economy when you get money flowing,” he said.
Strabino said that he has more than 50% of workers in Newport News signed up for the union, but he was not willing to provide an exact number.
