Virginia Beach mayor wants a collective bargaining referendum on November ballot

VIRGINIA BEACH — Residents could influence a future decision on collective bargaining for city employees by casting a vote on Election Day.

Mayor Bobby Dyer said Tuesday he wants an advisory referendum on collective bargaining on the November ballot. The outcome of such a referendum would be non-binding.

The City Council denied collective bargaining of city employees in a 5-5 vote with one abstention April 30. Dyer was among those who voted against it.

“Last week we had a divisive subject on collective bargaining,” said Dyer at Tuesday’s meeting. “How do we really confront this in a way that we are capable of doing?”

Dyer had said before the vote that the timing wasn’t right due to the potential costs, but he supported a more enhanced “meet and confer” process than what currently exists, which would require communication with the council.

Police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services and public works personnel wanted to negotiate better wages and enhanced employment conditions. The city received certification from a majority of public employees in a unit requesting collective bargaining in February, requiring a formal vote on the matter.

It’s likely the council will have to take up collective bargaining again. Other employee groups can trigger a council vote again by presenting certification from a majority of it public employees, according to union representatives.

To get the referendum on the ballot, it will require a majority vote from the council. Dyer plans to bring it up for a discussion and a vote after the budget is approved this month, he said.

The light rail referendum that failed in 2016 was also advisory.

Dyer also said Tuesday he plans to ask for the city to commission a collective bargaining analysis that could be presented before November.

“This would give us the opportunity to get information out to the public to bring them into the decision loop,” the mayor said.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com