House District 81 (Richmond)
- Virginia is one of only 9 states in the country that deny state public sector employees their right to bargain collectively. If elected, will you vote yes on legislation granting all public sector workers, including graduate student workers, in Virginia collective bargaining rights?
Yes.
- How will you work to ensure that every public employee has full and fair collective bargaining rights?
My major platform for decades has been to publicly advocate, and support the rights of workers, and I will continue my fight in the General Assembly.
- UCW-VA believes all education, including early childhood education (birth-5), is a right and a public good. UCW-VA believes that childcare and early education centers should be publicly funded and run and offer high-quality care and education and good jobs for employees, including living wages, healthcare, and a retirement plan. Will you champion free, universal access to high-quality, public education for all Virginians?
Yes.
- How will you work to ensure access to free, high-quality early childhood education in publicly-funded, publicly-run centers that offer employees living wages and good benefits?
My major platform for decades has been to publicly advocate, and support early childhood education, and I will continue my fight in the General Assembly as a member of the Education Committee.
- Do you support passing legislation to raise employment standards for all public sector employees, including a minimum wage of at least $20 an hour or $40,760 annually, access to quality health insurance, paid sick leave, and a livable retirement plan?
Yes.
- How will you raise employment standards for all public sector employees in Virginia?
I will continue to support and sponsor legislation that raises the employment standards as I have done for decades.
- In Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, and Nevada higher education board members are selected by popular vote, as in K-12 governance. Given that higher education in Virginia has been largely deregulated over the last few decades, what measures would you take to give Virginians more control over their public institutions of higher education?
I would explore how other states operate and see if it would be a good fit for Virginia. I would engage and explore additional information of the possibility of establishing a commission to make recommendations based on best practices from the other states that have this type of governance.
- What else would you like our members to know about your commitment to workers’ rights and public education?
Every child deserves a quality public education, and I will continue to work and advocate for education equality for all. I have been a strong supporter of educational opportunities for students, and I will continue supporting and sponsoring legislation that allows students to reach their optimal potential. All families should be able to provide adequate care for their children and be provided with the resources to do so. I will continue to support our Virginia families.