Article Text
Fairfax County firefighters, teachers and other public employees rallied May 6 outside the county government center, urging Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to sign legislation expanding collective bargaining rights for public workers statewide.
The gathering was part of a series of union-organized rallies across Virginia supporting HB 1263 and SB 378. Participating groups included the Virginia Education Association, the International Association of Firefighters and the Service Employees International Union.
Del. Kathy Tran and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, both of whom represent parts of Fairfax County, sponsored the respective bills. The General Assembly passed the measures in March.
“Collective bargaining is not a privilege, it’s a right,” said Matt Wallace, an elementary school teacher and Fairfax Education Association member. He argued that workplace promises offer educators little protection without bargaining rights and said employees were tired of being praised publicly but dismissed in policy decisions.
Virginia law currently lets individual local governments decide whether to permit collective bargaining, in which unions represent employees during contract negotiations. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance in 2021 covering general government and public safety workers.
The legislation would replace that optional system by removing bans on collective bargaining after public employees form a union.
Spanberger proposed changes that would have delayed implementation until 2030 for local employees without an existing contract. Her amendments also would have treated arbitration decisions as advisory, leaving local government employers with greater authority during negotiating impasses.
Lawmakers rejected those changes, leaving Spanberger less than two weeks to sign the bills, veto them or allow them to become law without her signature.
Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez said Fairfax County had chosen to support workers through collective bargaining and called for that approach to be extended throughout Virginia. He said employees who operate schools, protect communities and provide essential services deserve both a place and a voice in negotiations.
Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik also attended the rally.
The proposal faces opposition from the Virginia Association of Counties, which represents 95 local governments and has urged Spanberger to veto it. In an April 24 blog post, the organization argued that a statewide mandate would override established local decision-making and create new administrative, legal and financial burdens that could complicate budgeting and public services.
Fairfax County approved its first contract with general county employees in decades last December. On May 5, supervisors adopted a fiscal year 2027 budget funding raises and other provisions in that agreement.
The experience of Fairfax County Public Schools employees, however, has shown that negotiated terms can still depend on government funding. After supervisors declined to provide the full amount requested by Superintendent Michelle Reid, the school system reduced pay raises promised under a contract negotiated with the Fairfax Education Unions in fall 2024.