Youngkin: “Right to Work will be death knell of business”- McAuliffe Refuses to Address Issue
Small business owners are thanking newly endorsed NFIB candidate Glenn Youngkin for pledging to back small business during the first gubernatorial debate. Earlier today, NFIB endorsed Glenn Youngkin in his bid for the next governor of Virginia. The NFIB Virginia PAC, made up of small business owners and NFIB members overwhemingly threw their support behind Youngkin, who has a long history of supporting small business owners.
During tonight’s debate, when asked about their stance on the fate of right to work in Virginia, Glenn Youngkin said that “repealing the right to work legislation in Virginia would be the death knell for Virginia business. My opponent will sign a repeal of this law.”
When pressed on the issue, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe refused to answer the question and reveal his stance on the issue.
According to a recent impact statement by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), more than 70% of corporate executives and more than 78% of site-selection consultants indicated that it is “important” or “very important” for the state to have “right to work” for location decisions. Over a period of 18 months, Virginia announced nearly 60 projects in the manufacturing and supply chain sectors that represented 8,400 jobs and $6 billion in capital investment. VEDP stated that many of these announcements would not have occurred if Virginia were not a “right to work” state at the time the companies made their location decisions.
“What this debate made clear is that Glenn Youngkin is the right candidate,” said Nicole Riley, NFIB State Director in Virginia. “No employee should be compelled, as a condition of employment, to join or pay dues to a labor union. What small business owners and their employees need right now is the assurance that the next governor of the state of Virginia has their back. Right to work is working here in the Commonwealth. According to recent data, Virginia could lose hundreds of potential projects that will equal more than 37,000 jobs and $11 billion in capital development. The fact that Terry McAuliffe refuses to say whether he would force workers to join a union or lose their job should be very concerning to all Virginia employees and employers. Virginia will not remain the Best State to do Business in the country if right to work protections are repealed. Glenn Youngkin is the clear pro-business candidate in this race.”
