City Of Virginia, AFSCME Local 454 Reach Tentative Agreement
Courtesy: AFSCME Local 454
VIRGINIA, Minn. — The city of Virginia and its AFSCME Local 454 employees have reached a tentative contract agreement.
See below for press releases from City Administrator Britt See-Benes and AFSCME Local 454:
City of Virginia:
On March 6, 2024, City of Virginia AFSCME Local 454 employees, representing Public Works, Park & Recreation, City Hall and the Library, walked off the job and began what would be a six- day strike.
In a mediation session held on March 12, 2024, the two parties reached a tentative agreement and on the same date, the City Council voted to ratify the contract. “We are thankful that an agreement was reached,” said City Administrator Britt See-Benes. “This has been a difficult time for all of us and we look forward to moving forward together as a team as we serve Virginia’s citizens.”
The tentative agreement that was approved today included the City Negotiating Committee offer of February 27, 2024, which included base wage increases of a cumulative total of 10.5% over the next three years. In 2024, the wage increases for AFSCME would have resulted in an increase of $140,925 to overall city budget. In 2025 and 2026, the City would have needed to allocate an additional cumulative total of $323,000 for AFSCME staff wage increases.
“I want to thank our staff and the Bureau of Mediation Services who spent many hours over the last four months to reach this agreement,” said See-Benes. “I’d also like to thank the City Council for its commitment to reaching resolution that serves our employees as well as taxpayers.”
All city employees are expected to return to their regular schedules on March 13, 2024.
AFSCME Local 454:
After 8 hours of negotiations, AFSCME members and the City of Virginia reached a deal that will end the strike. The tentative agreement was approved by the City Council in a session shortly after the agreement was reached. It was then approved by an overwhelming majority of the members of AFSCME Local 454 at a meeting this evening.
Scott DaRonco, President of AFSCME Local 454 said “We’re glad to be getting back to work for the citizens of Virginia. This was a fair deal when they bait-and-switched us last week. It’s still a fair deal today, but it’s unfortunate that the City Council decided to screw around with 62 working families and the citizens of Virginia just to get back to that fair deal.”
The deal resolves a number of questions about insurance costs, as well as questions about compensation that lingered after the City Council unexpectedly revoked it’s own final offer last week.
Shannon Douvier, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 65, was in mediation all day today. She said “The City Council pushed hard to dump the problems created by their financial mismanagement on these working families. We pushed back and with the support of the community and union members across the state, we won a contract that AFSCME Local 454 overwhelmingly voted to approve.”
Hundreds of members of both Minnesota AFSCME Councils and other unions from across the state rallied outside city hall during the mediations and put pressure on the City Councilors to reach a deal.
DaRonco said “It was really incredible to see the power of working people standing together. I just can’t say enough about how grateful I am to all the union members, local businesses and community members who have supported us through this. We won’t forget how you stood with us.”
