Virginia city workers announce intent to strike

VIRGINIA, MN. (Northern News Now) - The city workers in Virginia announced their intent to strike over contract negotiations.

Workers with the AFSCME Local 454, which represents Public Works, Park & Rec, Library, and City Hall, plan to go on strike due to the Virginia City Council “threatening to cut benefits to cover mismanagement.”

According to union leaders, the council created a budget shortfall during the fall of 2023 by refusing to pass a levy that would fund city operations.

Due to this, six jobs represented by AFSCME Local 454 were cut, despite existing staffing shortages.

During a mediation session on Wednesday, union leaders stated the city presented what they called “a last, best, and final offer that would cut overtime pay, further lower employer contributions to insurance, and negatively impact other earned benefits.”

The City Council then notified AFSCME leaders that the city will stop paying overtime to workers when they’ve had a sick day, vacation day, or a statutory holiday during the work week.

Union leaders state if the city moves forward with this change, workers will not receive any recognition when asked to put in extra hours.

The city’s proposal would offer less to AFSCME workers than what all other city employees received in recent contract settlements. It would also fail to keep the city comparable with other nearby employers.

AFSCME leaders say the city’s final offer includes a 10% reduction in employer contributions to insurance premiums over the three-year contract.

The one-time wage increases and stipends the city proposed would not cover the annual increases to insurance costs, meaning employees would see a cut to hourly wages for each year of the contract.

In 2020 and 2021, members agreed to save the city $127,474.69 a year by switching to a new health insurance plan.

In 2023, the city budgeted $151,000 for its six part-time councilors and Mayor, who receive the same benefits as full-time police, fire, supervisory, and AFSCME employees.

Scott DaRonco, President of AFSCME Local 454 released the following statement:

“The city has demonstrated no effort to reach a reasonable settlement. Despite our attempts to work with the city and find solutions to the issues they raised, they just threw us under the bus again and again with each proposal. They continue to demand our families shoulder the burden of their own mismanagement, and it’s clear they never intended to compromise.

Nobody wants to strike. We want to have fair wages and benefits to support our families in this community. AFSCME members want to continue to provide great service to the citizens of Virginia, however, the employer is forcing us to strike to survive.”

As a result, members of AFSCME Local 454 voted overwhelmingly to strike after the unsuccessful mediation session on Wednesday.

Following the intent to strike notice, there will be a 10-day waiting period before the strike can begin.

Another mediation session is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27.

We’ve reached out to the city for comment. We’ve not yet heard back.

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