Michael O'Connor

Looking for a newsletter focused on Virginia labor issues and economic policy? You can subscribe to my new one, Virginia Capital, coming soon from @vadogwoodnews vadogwood.com/va-capital-new…

There’s a protest song about the collective bargaining veto and Richmond Flock cameras instagram.com/reel/DYkytFPJ6…

I subscribe to the VCDL newsletter (where I get bangers like Grabigail Banberger) and it's up to 4 Virginia Counties top prosecutors that say they won't prosecute new gun laws. Spotsylvania, Smyth, Powhatan, and Pulaski.

Why a Democratic trifecta matters: Paid sick leave — now law. Paid family medical leave — now law. $15 minimum wage — now law. Democrats govern: workers finally get a fair shot. wavy.com/video/more-in-…

DNC, Virginia NAACP, unions push back on Spanberger's veto of collective bargaining richmond.com/news/state-reg…

Union workers rally in Richmond against Abigail Spanberger's veto of collective bargaining rights.

"Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia urged her fellow Democrats, including the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, to stop talking about drawing new congressional lines for partisan advantage." nytimes.com/2026/05/22/us/…

Sources: Starbucks shut down an AI program for automating inventory counts, nine months after deploying it, after it frequently miscounted and mislabeled items (@waylon_wc / Reuters) (Visit Techmeme dot com for the link and full context!)

NEW from me: DOGE’d Virginians one year later Trump says federal employees he fired are better off - the Virginians I spoke to disagree. #VALeg wvtf.org/news/2026-05-2…

So bosses in America spend $1.5 BILLION every year on - *checks notes* - “labor union avoidance.” Instead of ridiculously expensive union-busting consultants and lawyers, wouldn’t it be better to invest that money in the workers who create profit? theguardian.com/us-news/2026/m…

I asked @destinyforva how Spanberger can repair her relationship with labor in Virginia: "My advice would probably be to give some of our labor folks a call, maybe have a conversation, because there's still time to do something."

.@thedrmikejones told me at the labor protest in Richmond today that he gets the anger at Spanberger but thinks localities who lobbied against collective bargaining are getting a pass

Labor protest against Spanberger and her veto of collective bargaining happening now in Richmond

In Richmond, Va., workers who keep @lewisginter Botanical Garden thriving every day are turning up the pressure for a fair contract. 🌿✊ After more than a year of negotiations, @LGBGWorkers are fighting for fair wages and respect—with growing community support.

In a few years, we will look back at this transition time and wonder what took us so long to figure this out.

BREAKING: @AOC just got an EPA administrator to commit to investigate water quality around data center builds. Last week, AOC joined More Perfect Union on a trip to Morgan County, Georgia, where she met with residents living near a site that will host a massive Meta data center. Residents haven't had clean well water since the construction project began.

Some Democrats in the General Assembly are frustrated with the governor’s volley of vetoes to some of their biggest bills. vadogwood.com/news/politics/…

It takes 10 minutes to read the Declaration of Independence. One of Alexandria’s newest public art exhibits asks you to consider what those 600 seconds mean. “00:10:00 (The Declaration of Independence)" by Richmond-based artist Sandy Williams IV is on view at the Alexandria Circuit Court. The installation represents each of those 600 seconds, holding space for the significance of the document in our lives today. It’s part of Time and Place, the city's curated series of temporary public art projects that examine Alexandria's history. This sculpture, like the other pieces in Williams’ Time Rulers series, is made up of measuring sticks, each measuring the space traveled in one second walking at one mile per hour: 17.6 inches. When grouped, the time rulers hold space that represents the significance and duration of specific cultural moments. The installation is accompanied by a recorded reading of the Declaration of Independence by a diverse group of women living in Alexandria. This collage of community voices embodying the words of the founding fathers offers another way for viewers to consider the presence of these words in our world today. 📍 Alexandria Circuit Court | 520 King Street 📸 Photos by Laura Hatcher Photography #visitALX #AlexandriaVA

Very much enjoyed the Mary Cassatt exhibit at the National Gallery of Art recently

Speaker of the House Don Scott on Gov. Spanberger vetoes: "It's her prerogative. We have three co-equal political branches of government for a reason. There is nothing that she has done that I can say I'm surprised by. I can say that there are a couple that I'm disappointed by, but I'm not in despair. I think those issues could continue to be worked on, and I think there are ways that we can continue to move forward on those issues."

NOW: @SpanbergerForVA says she signed @BarbaraFavola’s paid family sick leave bill this am The bill 👉 lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/2… #valeg