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Public Employees Relations Board and Labor‑Management Committee seek steady funding; PERB warns quorum gaps slow cases
Summary
PERB told the budget committee it needs continued operating funds and appointment of board members to avoid case processing delays; the Virgin Islands Labor‑Management Committee outlined training and outreach budgets and asked for steady support to expand agency labor‑management committees.
Two territory labor agencies appeared before the Senate budget committee Aug. 15 to describe operations, training programs and service needs for FY2026.
Public Employees Relations Board (PERB): Chair Perina Jacobs Feldman and Executive Director Jessica Filgens told senators that PERB’s FY2026 request is $1,686,909 (personnel, fringe and operating costs). PERB said it continues to operate as the statutory forum for public‑sector labor disputes and collective bargaining matters under Act 44‑40, but the board currently lacks a quorum: multiple board terms have expired and one member is incapacitated, PERB said. Without a quorum the board cannot issue decisions on cases that by statute must be finalized in prescribed timeframes, staff warned. Chair Feldman said the board has sent an urgent request to the governor to fill the vacancies.
PERB also outlined technology and records upgrades completed or in progress (fiber Internet, firewall, wireless access points, upgraded printers, video recording equipment) and said it expects to fill three staff positions in FY2026 (legal counsel, fiscal officer and an IT specialist). Casework statistics supplied by PERB’s legal assistant show roughly 62 cases filed in the period reported, 57 closed and about 102 cases pending overall with 24 pending in Superior Court and 53 arbitration panels issued. PERB said it has moved to outsource court‑reporting rather than hire an in‑house court reporter, at a recommendation from the Legislature.
Virgin Islands Labor‑Management Committee (VILMC): Executive Director Jita Toutang and co‑chair Joseph Gumbs presented the VILMC budget request of $265,000 for FY2026. The request covers two full‑time employees, one part‑time administrative position, training and professional services and includes $122,000 for other services (workshops, facilitation, inter‑island travel and continuing education). The VILMC described its mission to form and sustain agency labor‑management committees (ALMCs), mediate workplace disputes, provide grievance‑handling training for shop stewards and supervisors and to host an annual territory‑wide LMC conference. The VILMC reported 16 agency LMCs organized across the territory and listed several trainings conducted in FY2025 (shop‑steward training, customer service, grievance handling and manager rights/responsibilities).
Committee discussion and requests: Senators pressed PERB about backlogs, vendor payables and the need to resolve board appointments quickly. PERB CFO said a handful of legacy vendor payments remain and most were cleared; PERB described modest revenue collections and a small dedicated checking account for fees (transcripts, arbitration fees) separate from general appropriations. VILMC said its model enables early problem solving at agencies and asked for continued funding to build capacity and expand ALMCs across departments.
Ending: Both agencies urged timely allotments and the speedy appointment of board members (PERB) and continued, predictable funding (VILMC) to sustain training and mediation services that, they said, reduce adversarial disputes in government workplaces and limit costlier litigation.
