New Group Of Alexandria Workers Take Step Toward Collective Bargaining

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A fourth collective bargaining ordinance could be in the cards as one group of Alexandria city government workers took a step to organize.

On Friday, a group of city government administrative and clerical workers filed for a union election for American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 20. According to the union, "the group of administrative and clerical workers are seeking better wages, benefits, and a voice on the job."

It would take a majority of employees in the bargaining unit to vote for AFSCME Council 20 to be the exclusive collective bargaining representative to negotiate an agreement with the city. AFSCME Council 20 was already the collective bargaining representative for the ratified contact of the labor and trades unit.

"For many years, unions in local governments were unheard of in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Now, we have a movement building," said Wayne L. Enoch, executive director of AFSCME Council 20. "We are overjoyed that Administrative and Clerical workers in the City of Alexandria have filed for election and look forward to them winning a voice on the job."

Alexandria had been the first Virginia locality to allow collective bargaining under a state law bringing back collective bargaining, effective March 2021. The city has five bargaining units: police, fire and emergency medical services, labor and trades, professional and technical, and administrative and clerical. Alexandria's first collective bargaining agreement was reached in November 2022 with the Southern States Police Benevolent Association for police department employees, and an agreement with the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 2141 for fire department employees was finalized in January 2023.

The latest agreement with the labor and trades unit was finalized with funding commitments in November 2023. AFSCME Council 20 said the labor and trades collective bargaining agreement provided guaranteed raises, a step-by-step pay schedule and other priorities.

"I think when people saw the contract labor and trades got, they really began to see how a union really changes things," said Emerita Valentin, an employee in Alexandria's Department of Emergency and Customer Communications. "We’ve been advocating for changes for years, but until you have a seat at the table, your voice can be ignored. That’s why we’re doing this. We deserve to have our voice heard."