Collective Bargaining Ordinance Approved In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — On Saturday, Alexandria City Council passed a collective bargaining ordinance for certain city employees, becoming the first locality to do so in response to a new state law.

The ordinance is the first passed in a Virginia locality in over 40 years. Collective bargaining had existed in Alexandria and 18 other Virginia localities until a 1977 Virginia Supreme Court ruling stopped local governments from collective bargaining with their employees. Now a Virginia law taking effect on May 1, 2021 allows counties, cities and towns to adopt ordinances to recognize labor unions or employee associations as a bargaining unit and enter into collective bargaining.

The first draft of the proposed Alexandria ordinance for collective bargaining was introduced on Feb. 9. Since then a coalition of organizations representing employees, residents and political leaders worked with City Council to push for changes.

Due to areas of disagreement between the city and employee organizations, City Council did not adopt the ordinance on that date and provided feedback to city staff to return with an updated ordinance on March 9. More specifically, City Council requested solutions agreeable to both parties on the scope of bargaining, the number of bargaining units, public safety supervisors excluded from collective bargaining, procedures regarding selection of the labor relations administrator, and resolution of negotiation impasses.

A revised proposal was presented on March 9, but areas of disagreement remained on excluding public safety supervisors from collective bargaining, resolution of negotiation impasses and scope of bargaining. City Council asked staff to meet with employee organizations in an attempt to resolve areas of disagreement ahead of a special legislative meeting on March 17 to reconsider the ordinance.

At the March 17 meeting, staff indicated they could not come to an agreement with employee organizations. City Council then voted to switch the proposed ordinance for an amended ordinance with final consideration on April 17. The amended version expanded the scope of bargaining to all terms and conditions of employment except substantive disciplinary decisions, included public safety supervisors in the public safety bargaining units, and changed the negotiation impasse procedures from mediation to a hybrid mediation and fact-finding model allowing City Council to make a final binding decision on the impasses if mediation is unsuccessful.

Employee organizations expressed support for the amended version approved by City Council.

Nelva Hernandez, a city employee, previously testified to City Council in support of the ordinance changes.

"When I first learned about the ordinance, I was disappointed that bargaining topics were limited to wages and benefits, because my commitment to my work is about so much more than just wages," Hernandez told City Council. "My job is not just a paycheck, it’s a calling. I
am very pleased with all the hard work the council put into listening to us and adopting changes. The city respected our right to negotiate over real workplace issues that include safety and working conditions."

IAFF Local 2141, the firefighters union, also praised City Council members for supporting a "a fair and equitable Collective Bargaining Ordinance."

AFSCME also released a statement in support of City Council's decision.

"On behalf of the thousands of AFSCME Council 20 public employees, we commend the mayor and city council for hearing our concerns," said Robert Hollingsworth, executive director of AFSCME District Council 20. "And we look forward to working with them on an ordinance that serves as the leading example for cities and counties across the Commonwealth."