Collective Bargaining Representative Chosen For Some Loudoun Workers

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — A union has been selected to represent some Loudoun County government employees in the collective bargaining process.

SEIU Virginia 512 was chosen by a member election to be the exclusive collective bargaining representative for eligible employees general government employees unit. SEIU Virginia 512 was not chosen to be the collective bargaining representative for the labor and trades unit.

The Board of Supervisors had allowed collective bargaining through an ordinance approved in December 2021. There are three collective bargaining units: one for employees of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System, one for labor and trade employees, and a third for general county employees. Employees of elected officers — in the Offices of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Commissioner of the Revenue, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff and Treasurer — as well as employees of the Library Board of Trustees cannot be part of collective bargaining under the ordinance.

The county's neutral Labor Relations Administrator held the elections for employees in the bargaining unit to vote on SEIU Virginia 512 representation with a simply majority. Through BallotPoint, 1,766 ballots were sent to employees in the general government unit. With 496 ballots returned, 77.8 percent of the votes supported SEIU Virginia 512 as the collective bargaining representative.

For labor and trades, ballots were sent to 160 employees, and 52 were returned. The election found 57.7 percent opposed to SEIU Virginia 512 representation.

The county's Labor Relations Administrator will certify the election results on March 14. After that, Loudoun County or SEIU Virginia 512 could request to start collective bargaining. The county's collective bargaining ordinance allows SEIU Virginia 512 to negotiate on behalf of employees on items like wages, benefits and working conditions.

The ordinance will not allow another election for the labor and trades bargaining unit to happen for another year.

The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue's bargaining unit is already represented by International Association of Firefighters Local 3756 after a 2022 election.