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Committee backs forwarding collective-bargaining amendment to council with amendments
Summary
The committee voted to forward an amendment to the city's collective-bargaining ordinance to full council with a recommendation to approve with amendments, citing the need to clarify negotiable management-rights language and align timing with negotiations beginning in mid-June.
The Finance & Economic Development Standing Committee moved and voted to forward ordinance 20260 90 — an amendment aimed at modifying the city's collective-bargaining dispute and impasse procedures — to the June 8 council meeting with a recommendation to approve with amendments.
Union leaders and representatives testified in support. Bill Panaly (Speaker 12), speaking for the Richmond Coalition of Police, and Bridal Levy (Speaker 13), RCOP president, said the amendment restores language the unions believed would remain negotiable after the 2022 ordinance. "What we're asking for by this amendment is ... to put life back in this is to fix it," Panaly told the committee. Keith Andes (Speaker 14) of the Richmond Professional Firefighters Association said his union also supports the changes.
Council members and administration representatives debated timing and administrative impact. RJ Warren (Speaker 17), council chief of staff, explained scheduling delays that placed the ordinance before this committee. An administration speaker (Speaker 15) said full negotiations were expected to begin in mid-June and asked the body to consider the potential administrative impact and timeline. Some members proposed a short amendment process in committee so an amended ordinance could be forwarded and returned before the July 1 negotiation deadline.
The committee agreed to ask stakeholders to meet quickly to prepare amendments; the committee's motion directs staff to forward the ordinance to full council with amendments and to refer an amended version back to the committee for additional review by mid-June.
What happens next: The ordinance will be forwarded to the June 8 council meeting with a recommendation to approve with amendments and then sent back to committee on June 17 for any necessary finalization before negotiations begin.
