Third Collective Bargaining Agreement To Be Funded In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A third collective bargaining agreement is on track to be funded in Alexandria. City Council committed funding Tuesday to implement the collective bargaining agreement for the city's labor and trades employees.

The latest collective bargaining agreement is with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 20, Local 3001, which Mayor Justin Wilson said affects 224 labor and trades employees for the city. Positions covered by the agreement are Laborer I, Laborer II, Laborer III, Equipment Operator I, Equipment Operator II, Building Engineer I, Building Engineer II, Building Engineer III, Refuse Collector, Automotive Mechanic, Maintenance Worker, Motor Vehicle Operator, Custodian, Heavy Equipment Operator, Cook, and School Crossing Guard.

"For more than a year, we’ve worked with our employee unions to reach agreements that provide an efficient and effective structure for resolution of benefits and workplace matters," said the mayor in a statement. "We are excited to sign today’s deal that covers more than 200 employees in six departments — all of whom now have direct representation to amplify their voices and collectively address concerns."

The agreement, reached in early October, will run from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027. Unde the agreement, wage increases will happen each year, including a 2.25 percent pay increase in fiscal year 2025 with a $1,000 bonus, 2.75 percent pay increase in fiscal year 2026 and 3 percent increase in fiscal year 2027.

"The pay scale adjustments promote recruitment, increase employee retention, and avoid pay compression," reads a memo from City Manager James Parajon to City Council.

Benefits remain the same under the collective bargaining agreement, but a benefits committee will be created to review existing benefits.

For standby pay, a 30-minute increase to hours employees receive for being on standby was agreed upon. Employees on standby Monday through Friday will be given up to 7.5 hours of pay, which significantly increases wages for an employee on standby. In addition, a first-ever $2,000 reimbursable tool allowance was negotiated to help fleet technicians with the cost of buying tools. A boot allowance voucher up to $200 per pair was negotiated as well.

"The AFSCME union bargaining committee had high expectations of what we could accomplish for the employees. We didn’t procure all the items we wanted, but this is a great start," said Harlie White, chair of the Alexandria Chapter of AFSCME, Local 3001. "We look forward to a cordial and amicable relationship as we learn together; union members and city management, on how to coexist and make every interaction a positive one."

The collective bargaining agreement is expected to cost $3.2 million over its three-year term from fiscal year 2025 to 2027, including $2.5 million in wage increases, $0.1 million for standby increases, $0.3 million for a one-time bonus on July 1, 2024, and $0.2 million for tool and clothing allowances.

Alexandria had been the first Virginia locality to allow collective bargaining under a state law bringing back collective bargaining, effective March 2021. 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.