Heather Michon, Editor
The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday (March 25), to oppose a legislative package that would strip local control by mandating collective bargaining for county employees.
If signed into law, House Bill 1263 and Senate Bill 378 would replace a 2020 “local option” law—which allowed localities to opt in to collective bargaining—with a mandatory statewide requirement.
Under the framework, the state-appointed Public Employee Relations Board, or PERB, would define “bargaining units.” These are groups of employees, such as maintenance or social workers, who share similar job duties. If a majority of workers in a unit vote for representation, the local government must negotiate in “good faith” over wages, hours, and other employment terms.
If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, the law mandates “binding interest arbitration,” a process where an outside third party settles the dispute by dictating the final terms of the contract. The PERB would hold powers traditionally reserved for local human resources departments and elected officials.
While many urban areas in Virginia have embraced collective bargaining, smaller, rural counties have bristled at the potential loss of sovereignty and the cost of the new system.
The Virginia Association of Counties has opposed the bill, arguing that mandating a uniform framework ignores the unique qualities of communities and “places an undue burden on many localities that lack the resources to manage the complexities of collective bargaining agreements.”
County Administrator Eric Dahl told supervisors that if the bill becomes law, the county could expect a 10% to 20% increase in personnel costs. He said the county might also be forced to hire negotiators, a labor relations administrator, and specialized legal counsel.
“It would be a nightmare,” Dahl said.
The potential impact on local control was illustrated earlier in the meeting when supervisors cut the budget line item for health insurance premiums by more than 2%; under the current system, the board retains the final authority to set compensation and benefits, a power that would be subject to negotiation if the state mandate passes.
Health care costs are set to rise 12.7% for county employees in fiscal year 2027. The board had previously decided to cover the full increase at a cost of $439,000.
But with an April 1 deadline for the county to inform insurers of the percentage it will pay, Supervisor Chris Fairchild (Cunningham) argued for reducing the county’s share. Fairchild said covering out-of-pocket increases was already encompassed by cost-of-living adjustments and noted that private employers rarely pay for such increases.
The debate over how much the county can afford to “hold harmless” its workers regarding insurance is an annual budget fixture. The question typically centers on what taxpayers should bear versus what staff, who often earn less in Fluvanna than in neighboring counties, can afford.
Supervisor Tony O’Brien said he favors a systematic approach, such as a simple annual percentage increase.
“I don’t like to, on the one hand, give raises, and on the other hand, take them away,” O’Brien said.
However, with the deadline approaching, any procedural changes must wait. After more than an hour of debate, the board reached a compromise: The county will cover 10.35% of the insurance increase, while staff will pay the remaining 2.35%.
This will shave around $81,000 off the proposed budget.
Staff will be briefed on the changes, and what it will mean to their paychecks, in May.
