As VEA prepares for renewed collective bargaining efforts in 2027, legislators need to hear directly from constituents about why this issue remains a priority. These Meeting with legislators in their home districts is one of the most effective ways to build support for collective bargaining before the General Assembly session begins. District meetings give educators and school employees an opportunity to share first-hand experiences, answer questions, and help lawmakers understand how collective bargaining would strengthen schools and workplaces in their own communities conversations can help build on the progress made in 2026, deepen relationships with supportive lawmakers, and encourage undecided or hesitant legislators to engage more seriously with the issue.
The most effective messages include a brief personal example. Legislators and their staff often receive large numbers of identical emails and form letters on important issues. While those messages demonstrate support, personalized messages and email subject lines are more likely to be read individually and help decision-makers understand how an issue affects real people in their communities.
Before sending your message, consider adding one or two sentences about your own experience. You might share:
Use Virginia’s Who’s My Legislator? tool to quickly identify the elected officials who represent your home address. Simply enter your address to find your Virginia Delegate, State Senator, and members of Congress, along with their contact information and district details.
Click HereAccording to the Economic Policy Institute, teachers in Virginia earn 67 cents on the dollar compared to other (non-teacher) college-educated workers. Virginia’s teacher wage penalty is the worst in the nation.
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