Collective bargaining is moving forward at Prince William County Public Schools.
It’s increasingly likely that everyone from teachers, counselors, and coaches to bus drivers will be able to bargain with a union for their salary starting in 2024. County school employees chose the Prince William Education Association to bargain on behalf of employees.
The Prince William Education Association has not returned a request for comment for this story.
Here’s a statement from Prince William County Public Schools:
From January 17, 2023, until today, February 10, 2023, School Board employees had the opportunity to choose the PWEA to be their exclusive bargaining agent for purposes of negotiating with the School Board on their behalf. After a full and fair election where everyone had an opportunity to vote, employees in both Bargaining Units have selected the PWEA as their exclusive representative.
The School Board is very pleased that so many employees made their voices heard through this process. Now that both Bargaining Units have selected the PWEA as their exclusive representative for the purposes of collective bargaining, the Board looks forward to working with the PWEA in good faith to address employees’ concerns and reach a reasonable and fair agreement in conformity with timelines and procedures set forth in the resolution.
The School Board remains focused on the achievement of the Vision 2025: Launching Thriving Futures Strategic Plan. A key component of the Strategic Plan is promoting a positive climate and culture, where PWCS staff will be empowered, supported, and engaged with a strong sense of belonging. As such, the School Board is fully committed to supporting every employee, and continuously seeks ways to improve all employees’ working conditions, pay, and benefits, including by providing salary increases averaging 19-24% over the past four years.
In Ocotber 2022, the school board passed a collective bargaining resolution that divides employees into two bargaining groups.
The first bargaining unit consists of employees who must have a license from the Virginia Department of Education or the Virginia Department of Health Professions. This includes, but is not limited to, all teachers, school counselors, nurses, athletic trainers, librarians, instructional technology coaches (ITCs), school psychologists, social workers, speech pathologists, and department chairs.
The second bargaining unit includes all employees who are not in the first bargaining unit, such as bus drivers, teaching assistants, technology support specialists (TSSPECs), and clerical employees.
