Virginia Beach plans look at collective bargaining
Council will review matter in March, vote on it in May
VIRGINIA BEACH — A request to allow collective bargaining of Virginia Beach city employees triggered a mandatory vote on the matter this spring.
The City Council received a letter on Feb. 1 from Max Gonano, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2924, representing the city’s Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services department employees requesting that City Council vote to adopt a collective bargaining ordinance proposed by the union.
Based on the timing of the request, which included certification from a majority of public employees in the units, the City Council is required by state law to vote within 120 days whether it will entertain collective bargaining.
In 2021, state law provides for collective bargaining of city employees if it’s authorized by local law. After hearing from several employee associations expressing interest in organizing agreements, the City Council convened a collective bargaining task force last year. The group
recommended the creation of no more five bargaining units that could negotiate three issues: wages and benefits; working conditions and grievances.
The task force report, completed in November, didn’t include any cost estimates for the city if collective bargaining was approved. At Tuesday’s informal City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Monica Croskey estimated it will cost about $400,000 to modify the payroll system and, at the minimum, an additional $500,000 to hire new employees, including two in Human Resources
and two new city attorneys as well as outside counsel, depending on the number of bargaining units.
Collective bargaining is the process in which working people, through their unions, negotiate contracts with their employers to determine their terms of employment, including pay, benefits, hours, leave, and job health and safety policies, according to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
Mayor Bobby Dyer directed staff to draft a collective bargaining ordinance using the task force’s
recommendations. He also requested an alternative one that would instead provide for employee committees that meet regularly with the city manager, similar to what Norfolk created last year when that city denied collective bargaining for its employees.
City Manager Patrick Duhaney said two options will be available for council for review in March and a vote will be scheduled in May.
Several council members also asked Duhaney to provide options for public outreach ahead of the vote.