Category: Labor and Workforce
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Spanberger Support for Mandatory Union Jobs Not “Moderate”
By Chris Braunlich Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger wants voters to believe she’s a moderate. That’s understandable. At a time when the Democratic Party’s favorability is at 33 percent and with an avowed socialist as the party’s nominee in the most highly visible election in the nation, the smart money is for Democrats in Virginia…
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Only Some Job Losses Trigger Media and Political Outrage
By Paul Driessen When Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently laid off 1,350 employees as part of a broader restructuring effort, the media response was swift and emotional. Stories of tearful farewells, union outrage, and dramatic claims of “fascism” filled the airwaves. One would think these federal employees had lifetime appointments and that accountability or…
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Having It Your Way
Or all sorts of ways, as the case may be. by Gordon C. Morse Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor, says she’s opposed to repeal of Virginia’s right-to-work law – but, you know, maybe we can work something out. That appears to be the suggestion. The obvious retort: “She just wants to have it…
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Right-to-Work a Distraction from Issues That Matter
by Paul Goldman History says Democratic voters do not believe repeal of the right-to- law is a major issue. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor, should have simply said no to repeal and pivoted to far more important issues to working families. The right-to-work law is increasingly irrelevant in today’s AI revolution, which is…
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Spanberger’s Right-to-Work Dodge
by James A. Bacon Abigail Spanberger, the Democrats’ gubernatorial hopeful, has declared that she would not sign a bill to repeal Virginia’s right-to-work law, which guarantees employees’ right to work at a company without paying dues to a union. But she’d be open to modifying it, she said. Here’s what she told WRIC-TV: “I think…
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When Did Democrats Begin to Resemble the Rockettes?
Virginia Democrats long defended and preserved the state’s “right-to-work” law. They’re shifting in unison. by Gordon C. Morse Join a labor union, if you like. Or do not join a labor union, if you like. Your choice. Virginia law says that no one can force you to financially support a union as a condition of…
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Bonfire of the Sheepskins
by James A. Bacon As tuitions climb ever higher and the wage premium for a college degree has plateaued, an increasing percentage of Americans — especially younger Americans — consider their diplomas a waste of money, concludes Indeed.com, an online job site, on the basis of a new survey. Twenty percent of Baby Boomers considered…
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The Plumber’s Apprentice
by Calder Svendsen I recently needed a plumber and was surprised when he showed up with an apprentice in tow — one of my former students. The young man had dropped out the year after taking my class, a decision that surprised no one who knew him well. He was capable, witty, and clever enough…
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Blue Collar Kids
by Calder Svendsen He said, “Look, I do the work, I’m passing, I’m just trying to graduate.” And he was right, on all counts. He was an average student who did average work and gave average answers when prompted. He had a penchant for distraction, even when he showed an interest in whatever we were…
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Building a Virginia Workers Paradise in Just One Meeting
By Steve Haner Virginia Democrats envision a Workers Paradise and are busy trying to create it. By way of illustration, below are ten bills that were approved by the House Labor and Commerce Committee last week in just one of its meetings. This is by no means a complete list of the new mandates on…
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Who Deserves Credit for Improving Economy?
by James A. Bacon The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data highlight significant gains in employment and labor-force growth in the Commonwealth, said the Governor’s Office in a press release this morning. The data, said the statement, underscores Virginia’s “resilient and dynamic labor market.” Unemployment dipped slightly to 3.0%, 1.1 percentage points below the national…
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Organized Labor? We’re Not Organized, We’re Academics!
by James A. Bacon It’s a shame that the United Campus Workers of Virginia (UCW-VA) are such insufferable leftists. I could almost sympathize with their aims. Universities in the United States treat their graduate students and adjunct faculty abominably. Thousands of these employees lead an insecure, ill-paid existence and probably could benefit from a union…
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Crunching the Numbers on Elite Overproduction
by James A. Bacon Wonder why young Americans are souring on the higher-ed value proposition? The Old Dominion University Strome College of Business’s “2024 State of the Commonwealth Report” supplies data that provides the answer. Ten years after leaving high school, one in five bachelor’s degree recipients earned less than the median income of high…
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Virginia’s New Blue Collar Boom Town
by James A. Bacon The Hampton Roads region will need 40,000 skilled workers over the next six years to support growth of the maritime and offshore wind industries, says Hampton Roads Workforce Council President and CEO Shawn Avery. Most of those jobs will require blue-collar skills now in short supply. Newport News Shipbuilding will need…
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Virginia AI Hiring Is On Fire
by James A. Bacon Based on a tally of listings in online job sites, AI-related job offerings expressed as a percentage of the population are higher in Virginia than any other state. In absolute numbers, California employers have 6,702 listings on LinkedIn and Glassdoor, more than the 4,007 counted in Virginia. But AI listings per…