Joint Work Ahead for Collective Bargaining
Dear FEA and FCFT members and FCPS staff,
Both FEA and FCFT have long been champions of winning collective bargaining rights for FCPS staff. From the start, our two unions have set ourselves apart as the only employee associations in FCPS who have consistently and vocally pushed to secure this right for our members. Our advocacy has been a years-long process that has included endorsing political candidates who support strong labor rights, standing with the School Board in 2020 when they removed anti-collective bargaining language from their state and legislative program, lobbying the General Assembly to remove the ban on public sector collective bargaining, advocating against new legislation this year that would limit these rights, and now participating in discussions between FCPS leadership and employee associations to draft resolution language that will allow collective bargaining for FCPS staff. Once the draft of the resolution is complete, the School Board will vote to adopt it and that will allow for a union to call for an election. In the election, every employee will be able to vote for one bargaining agent to represent them in contract negotiations with FCPS.
FEA and FCFT have been collaborating throughout the process of drafting the collective bargaining resolution. We share the goal of winning a resolution that gives the broadest rights to our members. As we approach finalizing the resolution, both FEA and FCFT leadership have decided that the best way to ensure that FCPS staff can win a union election and secure the right to bargain is to come together as one bargaining agent. The right to bargain is too important to risk losing by competing over votes. We believe that coming together as one bargaining agent puts us in the strongest position to call for an election and win so that we can begin negotiating contracts that will benefit all FCPS staff.
On March 28th, FEA’s Board of Directors and FCFT’s Executive Board passed a resolution formally supporting creating a joint bargaining agent for the purpose of representing licensed instructional staff, support staff, and transportation staff in contract negotiations with FCPS. Last night, the FEA Representative Assembly and FCFT’s Organizing Committee unanimously agreed to support this joint work. At this point, FEA and FCFT remain independent unions and will only be coming together as one organization for the purpose of winning collective bargaining and eventually negotiating on behalf of FCPS staff. Members will continue to belong only to the union that they joined and member benefits and services will remain the same.
There will be many opportunities over the coming months for FCPS staff to come together to ensure that we secure a resolution.
We are calling on all our members to stand with us at a joint rally before the School Board meeting on April 28th to show that employees want a resolution before this school year is over. The rally will start at 6:30 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042.
We also ask that you sign our joint letter and share it with your colleagues. Be on the lookout for more opportunities soon to learn more about collective bargaining and show your support. We are stronger together.
Sincerely,
The FEA Board of Directors and FCFT Executive Board