Alexandria Firefighters Union To Represent Workers In Collective Bargaining

ALEXANDRIA, VA — An Alexandria firefighters union won the right to participate in collective bargaining, the first time in 40 years this has happened for a public sector employees union.

Collective bargaining for public sector employees had not been allowed after a 1977 Virginia Supreme Court ruling stopped local governments from collective bargaining with their employees. That changed when a Virginia law effective on May 1, 2021 allows counties, cities and towns to adopt ordinances to recognize labor unions or employee associations as a bargaining unit and enter into collective bargaining. Alexandria was the first locality to adopt a collective bargaining ordinance in response to this state law.

In preparation for the city's collective bargaining process, the IAFF Local 2141 union representing firefighters, medics and fire marshals held an election. A total of 163 fire and EMS personnel voted to have IAFF Local 2141 represent them in collective bargaining, or 99.39 percent. Just one person voted against representation. There were 239 personnel eligible to vote.

"This is a monumental day for the members of our department," said IAFF Local 2141 President Josh Turner in a statement. "But it’s also a monumental day for all working people and communities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia — we’ve shown that when workers come together, whether they’re first responders, teachers, sanitation workers or anything else, that when we work together, we have the power to have a say in the decisions that impact our lives and the lives of the communities we serve."

Collective bargaining negotiations with the city government are expected to last until November, said Jeremy McClayton, an organizer with the union.

The union has been raising concerns about staffing shortages and regional pay competitiveness in recent months. IAFF 2141 said in a statement some staff have done mandatory overtime with an additional 12 to 24 hours after their normal 24-hour shift due to staffing shortages. The union also claimed staffing shortages have caused some engines, ambulances and medical units to be placed out of service.

There are several efforts to address Alexandria's pay competitiveness in the region. In October, City Council approved a 1.5 percent pay increase for city government employees and one-time bonuses. The city manager's proposed fiscal year 2023 budget calls for merit pay increases for city staff, a 6 percent increase in sworn fire pay scales, a 5 percent increase in sworn police and sheriff pay scales, and a 4 percent increase in general schedule pay scales. McClayton said the union is "cautiously optimistic about" the proposed city budget from the new city manager.

In addition to pay proposals in the budget, the city is seeking a federal grant to support relief staffing. The city is seeking $6 million over three years through FEMA's SAFER grant program to hire 20 firefighters.