Virginia Beach to vote on collective bargaining for city employees

VIRGINIA BEACH — Allowing city employees to negotiate over their wages and benefits will be up for a vote by the City Council Tuesday.

The council will be presented with two options, at the request of the mayor: To allow collective bargaining or to allow a “meet and confer” process whereby employee committees will be able to regularly share concerns with the city manager.

If the council approves collective bargaining, city staff will negotiate with city workers’ unions to draft a new law, which could take months, according to City Attorney Mark Stiles.

The city received certification from a majority of public employees in a unit requesting collective bargaining in February, requiring a formal vote on the matter.

The council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The vote was moved up from May at Mayor Bobby Dyer’s request because he didn’t want it to interfere with the upcoming budget adoption, Dyer has said.

Virginia Beach is the latest city in the region to vote on collective bargaining rights of city employees. Norfolk denied city workers from collective bargaining, and instead supported a meet and confer process. Portsmouth approved collective bargaining last November.

Virginia was one of a few states with a blanket ban on collective bargaining for public sector employees until 2020, when the Democrat-controlled General Assembly enacted a new law, effective 2021, punting the final say to localities. To engage in the process, Virginia cities must approve a law or resolution.

“If it’s done the right way … It gives the employee an intrinsic value to come to work,” former Virginia Beach Police Chief Jim Cervera said at a public comment session on the matter held earlier this month. “Collective bargaining would be good for our city.”

Not all residents support the idea.

“Our employees and the services that they provide are what we pay taxes for,” said Diana Howard, chair of the Virginia Beach Tea Party, during the same meeting. “What problem is collective bargaining going to solve that the City Council and the city manager can’t solve without it?”

Collective bargaining can’t restrict the governing body’s authority to establish a budget or appropriate funds, and strikes by public employees are prohibited, under Virginia law. The General Assembly and the governor could amend laws relating to collective bargaining in the future.

In Virginia Beach, implementing a collective bargaining process will cost nearly $1 million. Staff 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.

Also, many of the items subject to collective bargaining negotiations would require funding including potential raises and additional health benefits.

Earlier this year a task force made recommendations on the scope of the bargaining and the number of units. The 11-member task force recommended no more than five bargaining units with the following makeup: fire/EMS, police, service, labor and trades, administrative and technical, and professional.

Bargaining power over wages, salaries and other forms of monetary compensation as well as health insurance premiums were also among the taskforce’s recommendations.

After hearing from the public, the City Council held an informal discussion on collective bargaining April 16.

On the same day, city workers and their allies held an informational picket in front of City Hall. Around 15 people carried signs while one person shouted: “What do we want?” The group answered in unison: “Collective bargaining.”

“When do we want it?,” said the leader. “Now,” said the demonstrators.

At the council discussion, Councilman Joash Schulman, an attorney, said he had some unanswered questions.

“What protections would we have in the event of changed economic conditions?” said Schulman. “Are there mechanisms available for us to come back to the table and renegotiate terms?”

The city attorney provided responses to the council members‘ questions last week. A collective bargaining ordinance and agreement could address unusual circumstances, Stiles said.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com