Alexandria Collective Bargaining Ordinance Prompts 2 New Hires

ALEXANDRIA, VA — City government has announced two new hires to administer the collective bargaining ordinance approved by Alexandria City Council earlier this year.

Kevin Stokes has been hired as chief labor relations officer, effective Dec. 13, to represent the city during the upcoming collective bargaining process. Sean Rogers was appointed to a four-year term as labor relations administrator effective Oct. 19.

"We are pleased to now have on board two seasoned labor relations professionals, Kevin Stokes, as Chief Labor Relations Officer, and Sean Rogers, as Labor Relations Administrator, to help the City successfully launch the new era of collective bargaining with its employees," said City Manager Mark Jinks in a statement.

The city's ordinance took effect on May 1 as a new state law allowed localities to adopt collective bargaining ordinances. The city's ordinance allows unions or associations representing city employees to enter a collective bargaining agreement with the city on matters related to employees and employment.

As chief labor relations officer, Stokes will be the liaison to all city departments regarding the collective bargaining process and implementation of collective bargaining agreements. Stokes previously worked for the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education, providing legal advice regarding special education law and OSSE’s collective bargaining agreements with labor organizations. He was recently the interim general counsel, where he supervised attorneys, interns and a paralegal to advise education officials on employment and labor, among other matters.

Rogers, the labor relations administrator, is a third-party representative to administer the city’s collective bargaining process. He was selected as labor relations administrator by a committee of representatives from employee organizations and city manager designees, and City Council ratified the appointment by recommendation of the city manager.

Rogers previously served as chief negotiator and lobbyist on labor and employee relations to the Montgomery County, Maryland. He was also the national director of labor relations for the Internal Revenue Service, serving as chief negotiator for collective bargaining, mediation and impasse resolution for about 84,000 bargaining unit employees. Since 2003, Rogers has practiced dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution. He has been a neutral arbitrator and mediator for hundreds of cases in private, federal and public sectors, including airline, railroad, health care, pulp and paper products, manufacturing, packaging and container, communications, and police, fire and corrections.

SEE ALSO: New City Manager Appointed By City Council In Alexandria