PWEA Calls for Collective Bargaining Meetings to be Open to PWCS Employees

Division prefers a closed door approach

Posted

PWEA leadership calls for the PWCS school board to agree to open bargaining. After our second negotiation meeting, we are at an impasse with division management, as they demand a closed bargaining process.

PWEA’s negotiation team is committed to securing open bargaining so that employees are able to observe the contract negotiations that will impact their working conditions. We understand that our colleagues are owed respect and deserve to observe a transparent collective bargaining process in order to build employee trust in the negotiation process.

PWEA leadership surveyed staff this April about their preferences for the bargaining process, including over 11,000 employees within both certified and classified units. A total of 2,696 employees responded:

  • 46 staff members preferred closed bargaining with no staff able to observe bargaining.
  • 82 staff members preferred open bargaining through in-person observation only.
  • 269 staff members preferred open bargaining with virtual options for observation only.
  • 2,299 staff members preferred open bargaining with hybrid options to observe bargaining through virtual or in-person options.

Overwhelmingly, our school staff within both bargaining units prefer open bargaining with the hybrid option. Therefore, PWEA is asking for the process requested by a substantial majority of respondents.

We call on the PWCS school board to agree to competitive and fair compensation increases and to provide staff with the ability to observe negotiations that will impact over 11,000 employees’ income and professional workload and responsibilities.

PWEA is disheartened by the board’s unwillingness to support transparent bargaining. An impasse between labor and the division will lead to unnecessary costs for taxpayers, wasting not only money and resources but also time.

School staff deserves the right to observe the process that will impact our family budgets and our professional careers. We respectfully request that the board agree to open bargaining and allow the negotiations for fair contracts to continue.

Prince William Education Association (PWEA) leadership also calls on the Prince William County Schools (PWCS) School Board and the Prince William Board of County Supervisors to provide our teachers and school staff equitable raises compared with Prince William County staff and agree to transparency through open bargaining.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors adopted budget provides the following compensation increases for Prince William County and school employees:

1. Police: Over 17% increase AND step increase of 3%

2. Fire: Over 15% increase AND step increase of 3%

3. County employees: 6% increase AND step increase of 3%

4. School employees: 2% increase AND step increase of 3%

PWEA leadership continues to call on both boards to stop valuing our school employees least in the budget process and provide ALL county public servants with equitable increases. Our teachers and school staff deserve a livable wage, as do all public servants in Prince William County. We support our first responders’ compensation increases and ask that the boards provide school staff with comparative, fair salary increases

PWEA, leadership, Prince William Education Association, Prince William County Schools, schools, teachers, teachers union, collective bargaining, open meetings, hybrid, pay, pay increases, teacher pay, FY24, county budget, local news, education, news, Prince William County news, teachers, educators, collective bargaining, Virginia, Bristow Beat, Bristow news, Manassas news, Woodbridge news