Loudoun Supervisors to Hear Options on Gov’t Labor Unions
Members of SEIU Virginia 512 asked the Board of Supervisors to stay the course on proposed countywide raises and an ongoing project to bring employee wages and staffing numbers level with other jurisdictions in the Northern Virginia region. [Renss Greene/Loudoun Now]
Loudoun County supervisors are set to make a decision on recognizing unionized public employees on Tuesday, April 20.
A state law going into effect on May 1 allows local governments to recognize public employee unions, and the county board plans to be ready for that law when it goes into effect. The law will allow public employees to petition the local government for a vote, but does not let them force collective bargaining the local governing body would then hold a vote to decide whether to recognize the union, and if so, what sort of discussions to have with them. Doing so also requires the board to adopt a local ordinance.
Today at 9:30am
Fairfax County’s government workers union urged the Board of Supervisors yesterday (Tuesday) to adopt a fiscal year 2022 budget that includes increased compensation for employees, whose year-long pay freeze would be prolonged if the county’s proposed budget takes effect.
The testimony came during the first of three public hearings on the advertised FY 2022 budget that have been scheduled for this week. There will also be hearings at 3 p.m. today and tomorrow (Thursday).
Service Employees International Union Virginia 512, which represents social workers, librarians, maintenance staff, and other general county government employees, says that its top priorities for the new budget are ending the pay freeze and establishing rules for collective bargaining.
By MICHAEL MARTZ
Richmond Times-Dispatch
RICHMOND â Yolanda Ross was happy to receive a check she had long awaited from Virginiaâs Medicaid program as hazard pay for working as a home health worker during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Ross, who makes less than $10 an hour while caring for her disabled adult son in their home in Henrico County, had expected a check for $1,500.
After taxes, she received $971 â a 35% bite.
âIt was a little surprising how much got taxed on it,â Ross said.
The first checks began arriving early this month, almost three months after Gov. Ralph Northam promised the one-time payments to more than 43,000 home health workers who care for Medicaid recipients in their homes instead of institutions.