SR Holguin, PC is a union-side labor and employment law firm with nearly four decades of experience representing private sector unions, public sector unions, and multi-employer trust funds. SR Holguin, PC is committed to providing full-service legal representation to each of our clients.

One way in which SR Holguin, PC ensures our clients and their members stay informed is by keeping you updated on recent developments relating to workers’ rights. Today’s updates come ahead of the May 1, 2021 legalization of public sector collective bargaining in Virginia.

Workers Who Could be Impacted: Public Sector Workers Throughout Virginia

In 1977, the Supreme Court of Virginia ruled in Commonwealth of Virginia v. County Board of Arlington County, Et al. that public employee bargaining was impermissible absent express statutory authority. In 1993, the Virginia General Assembly codified this ruling. 

The 1993 law, chaptered as Code of Virginia Table Title 40.1 Chapter 4 Article 2.1 § 40.1-57.2. states, “[n]o state, county, municipal, or like governmental officer, agent or governing body is vested with or possesses any authority to recognize any labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agent of any public officers or employees, or to collectively bargain or enter into any collective bargaining contract with any such union or association or its agents with respect to any matter relating to them or their employment or service.”

On April 22, 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed SB 939 and its sister bill HB 582. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam then signed both bills into law. The bills replace the language in Title 40.1 Chapter 4 Article 2.1 § 40.1-57.2 to allow counties, cites, or towns in Virginia to grant authority to recognize a labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agent of public officers or employees, and to collectively bargain with such a union or association.

The new text of Title 40.1 Chapter 4 Article 2.1 § 40.1-57.2, effective May 1, 2021, provides, 

“A. No state, county, city, town, or like governmental officer, agent, or governing body is vested with or possesses any authority to recognize any labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agent of any public officers or employees, or to collectively bargain or enter into any collective bargaining contract with any such union or association or its agents with respect to any matter relating to them or their employment or service unless, in the case of a county, city, or town, such authority is provided for or permitted by a local ordinance or by a resolution. Any such ordinance or resolution shall provide for procedures for the certification and decertification of exclusive bargaining representatives, including reasonable public notice and opportunity for labor organizations to intervene in the process for designating an exclusive representative of a bargaining unit. As used in this section, ‘county, city, or town’ includes any local school board, and “public officers or employees” includes employees of a local school board.

B. No ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to subsection A shall include provisions that restrict the governing body’s authority to establish the budget or appropriate funds.

C. For any governing body of a county, city, or town that has not adopted an ordinance or resolution providing for collective bargaining, such governing body shall, within 120 days of receiving certification from a majority of public employees in a unit considered by such employees to be appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining, take a vote to adopt or not adopt an ordinance or resolution to provide for collective bargaining by such public employees and any other public employees deemed appropriate by the governing body. Nothing in this subsection shall require any governing body to adopt an ordinance or resolution authorizing collective bargaining.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A regarding a local ordinance or resolution granting or permitting collective bargaining, no officer elected pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 of the Constitution of Virginia or any employee of such officer is vested with or possesses any authority to recognize any labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agent of any public officers or employees, or to collectively bargain or enter into any collective bargaining contract with any such union or association or its agents, with respect to any matter relating to them or their employment or service.”

On April 17, 2021, the City of Alexandria, Virginia adopted such an ordinance to “establish collective bargaining between the City and certain City employees.” 

We hope these updates are helpful to you.

Fraternally,

SR Holguin, PC