First Collective Bargaining Agreement In Loudoun County Ratified, Up For Board Approval

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County's first collective bargaining agreement in history was approved by a union representing fire and rescue employees and public safety communicators.

IAFF Local 3756, a union representing about 650 firefighters, fire marshals, medics and public safety communicators, voted to ratify the collective bargaining agreement with the county. In three days of voting, 86 percent of union members voted to support the contract.

"From the ordinance writing process, through negotiations, I am incredibly proud of both the County’s and Union’s negotiating teams," said Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall. "Not only do I believe that this contract will serve the best interest of the citizens of Loudoun County, but both teams were able to address challenges in a collaborative and civil manner. For a first contract to not go to arbitration, that’s a good sign for the relationship between the County and our employees, moving forward."

The union leadership and county staff negotiated the collective bargaining agreement over 16 months. The contract addresses areas of concern for first responders, namely pay, benefits and working conditions.

"Loudoun County is growing, so in response, the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Department is growing as well," said John Myers, IAFF 3756 president. "That’s why it was so important, for us as the workforce, to ensure that this contract sets a strong foundation, not just for things like our benefits, like the number of annual leave slots available to our members escalating as the department grows, but also the foundation for the professional relationship between labor and management that we’ll need to have in years to come.”

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on approving the agreement at a May meeting.

A Virginia state law taking effect in May 2021 removed a ban on collective bargaining between localities and their employees. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors had allowed collective bargaining through an ordinance approved in December 2021.

There are three collective bargaining units permitted in the county: 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 general government employees unit recently voted forSEIU Virginia 512 to be the exclusive collective bargaining representative for eligible employees. However, the same union was not chosen to be the collective bargaining representative for the labor and trades unit.