VA Gov-Elect Meeing With Union Officials Already


Virginia Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe is wasting no time , meeting with Old Dominion labor officials barely 2 weeks after the election.  What’s the rush?   Anna Palmer has the answer on Politico.com

Virginia Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe. Will he pursue the predicted “aggressive” labor agenda?

The facetime with union heads is notable because Virginia is a “right to work†state, though union organizing wasn’t a major issue in the election.

McAuliffe, a long-time fundraiser turned politician, met with a handful of labor leaders Wednesday evening for dinner at Morton’s The Steakhouse. It was described as a “thank you†dinner and opportunity to discuss the election by attendees. Guests included American Federation of Teacher’s Randi Weingarten; Terry O’Sullivan of LIUNA; Larry Cohen of the Communications Workers of America; Dennis Van Roekel of the National Education Association and International Association of Fire Fighters Harold Schaitberger.

A McAuliffe spokesman said the governor-elect was doing several meetings inside the Beltway and in Virginia with supporters and others, including meeting with roughly a dozen Republican state legislators. McAuliffe has also done donor appreciation events in Richmond and Charlottesville and is meeting with other constituencies to asking for input on how to best approach the next four years, the spokesman said.

The fire fighter’s Schaitberger said that while he doesn’t expect McAuliffe to take on an aggressive labor agenda, his election was important because he can “serve as a firewall†for any anti-union legislation the state legislature might take up.

Categories