Collective Bargaining Ordinance Moves Forward In Prince William County

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — A collective bargaining ordinance could be coming to Prince William County in the future. At their meeting this week, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted in favor of creating a collective bargaining ordinance.

Last year, the Virginia legislature approved a law that would allow localities to approve and negotiate with bargaining units representing public employees. The law took effect in May, and in September, police and fire employees filed a petition signaling their intent to collectively bargain.

Based on Virginia law, the supervisors had 120 days after the petitions were filed to decide whether or not they would start work on a collective bargaining ordinance. On Tuesday, the supervisors voted 5-2 in favor of starting on a collective bargaining law.

"There are four ordinances out there so we don’t have to recreate the wheel,” Chair Ann Wheeler said. “This is just the beginning of the process.”

So far, four localities in the state have approved collective bargaining laws. Each of the localities, Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun, are located in northern Virginia.

In a report presented to the supervisors on Tuesday, the county estimated that the administrative structure required to support collective bargaining would cost the county $1,755,372 and the work of 14 full-time employees.

Other jurisdictions that passed collective bargaining ordinances in 2021 saw budget changes of less than a million dollars for their budgets in the 2022 fiscal year. Alexandria, which adopted a collective bargaining ordinance in April, saw one of the steepest budget increases at $850,000 in human resources and legal areas. Loudoun County budgeted an additional $967,000 for human resources, legal, and payroll.

Many of the exact details regarding the extent of collective bargaining in Prince William County will be decided during work sessions in the new year.

Supervisors Yesli Vega and Jeanine Lawson voted against moving forward with a collective bargaining ordinance. Supervisor Pete Candland was absent. The remaining supervisors voted in favor of moving forward with collective bargaining.