GINNY BIXBY CHARLOTTESVILLE â Greg Wright and other members of the Charlottesville Fire Department are planning to unionize after a change in the Code of Virginia, effective May 1, allows municipalities to enter into collective bargaining agreements with their employees. Wright, a captain with the fire department and third-term president of the Charlottesville Professional Firefighters Association, submitted an email to City Council members on March 6 informing them of the upcoming change in the state code and asking them to adopt an ordinance to allow collective bargaining for city employees. âI humbly ask that you, and all the members of Council support this Amendment. Empowering ALL City employees to participate in traditional collective bargaining is something that I hope you consider as important as we do,â he wrote.