The election of Governor Abigail Spanberger breathed new life into the fight for public employee unions in Virginia. Meanwhile, a federal judicial order directing the state to increase pay for such workers is waiting in the winds. It's led to a new union between home health care workers and the disabled that hopes to knock out two birds with one stone.
The Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, and the Arc of Virginia have teamed up in the hopes of seeing increased wages for those who care for Virginia’s most in need.
“Homecare providers are the arms, the legs, just the engines that keep households running when you have a younger person or an older person who needs care," said LaNoral Thomas with SEIU Virginia.
She’s helped lead the charge to get home health care workers, about 28,000 of them across the Commonwealth, collective bargaining rights. It’s an issue Governor Abigail Spanberger has signaled support for. And if they do get those bargaining rights, it could lead to wage increases for SEIU members who serve members of the Arc of Virginia.
The Arc of Virginia advocates for Virginia’s disabled community. A long-running settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice forced Virginia to close poorly managed and isolating group homes and replace it with services that keep the disabled part of their own communities.
An increase in pay for the home health care workers, known as personal assistance providers, who help keep disabled folks in the community is part of that settlement.
“These rate increases are not optional; they are required under the court order," said Tonya Milling with the Arc. "So, I would expect something.”
Legislative leadership in Richmond were in court late last year and promised to increase funding, but Virginia has fallen far behind in paying for those services, as much as 43% behind according to a 2025 report from Guidehouse.
Budgets submitted so far either don’t mention such pay increases or offer an 8% increase.
The two groups have joined forces in an effort to convince the legislature that giving collective bargaining rights to SEIU home health care workers could help meet some of the demands of the court order.
Thomas said the pay raises could meet other demands too.
“You have baby boomers who are demanding care. You have millennials and younger that are demanding their fair right to work," Thomas told Radio IQ. "So, the two are meeting and the state needs to meet the moment.”
The legislature will return to Richmond in late April to decide on a final budget. Whether concerns about a future economic downturn impact funding for home health care workers and the court order survive remains to be seen.
