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Collective Bargaining
Background, work groups, employee participation, and more
Policy Statement
We believe that a culture of collaboration and participation in making decisions about the working environment of instructional, operational, administrative and supervisory staff working with leadership and the School Board will best serve the interest of creating a high-quality education in a supportive and nurturing environment for students and their families. In recognition that the Virginia General Assembly took action in 2020 to allow school boards, effective May 1, 2021, to enter into collective bargaining relationships with representatives of staff to promote collaboration and participation consistent with Virginia law.
Fairfax County Federation of Principals, Administrators, & Supervisors (FCFPSA)
Administrators and Supervisors are full and part-time principals, associate and assistant principals, directors of student activities, directors of student services, and administrators (including special programs).
October 24, 2024 - The Fairfax County School Board certified the Fairfax County Federation of Principals, Supervisors, and Administrators (FCFPSA) as the exclusive representative for the Administrators and Supervisors Bargaining Unit at FCPS. Going forward, FCFPSA will be the exclusive voice of all employees in the bargaining unit.
Going forward, the exclusive representative has the right to serve as the exclusive voice for all Bargaining Unit members without discrimination and without regard to Employee Association membership. All rights of the exclusive representatives are stated in Section 4 of the FCPS Collective Bargaining Resolution.
What does this mean to me as an Employee?
Your union representatives will be your voice on all matters related to collective bargaining. They are your first line of support when issues of wages, compensation, benefits, or other terms of employment arise. The union will help you review your issue, research alternatives, provide recommendations, and represent you in reaching solutions.
What does this mean to me as a Supervisor?
FCPS is committed to honoring our employees’ right to exclusive representation. As a supervisor, you must ensure that any issue raised by an employee that is subject to collective bargaining is addressed through their exclusive representative. You should continue addressing operational issues directly with your staff, including covered employees. For issues covered by collective bargaining, such as wages, compensation, benefits and terms and conditions of employment, you must respect the employee’s right to exclusive representation and address the matter with their exclusive representative.
Fairfax Education Unions (FEU)
Licensed Instructional Staff are non-administrative employees whose school employment requires a license from the Virginia Department of Education or Virginia Department of Health Professions, including but not limited to full and part-time teachers, librarians, school counselors, speech-language pathologists, instructional specialists, school psychologists, school social workers, and school-based technology specialists.
Operational Employees are employees engaged in assignments that support educational programs. They include, but are not limited to, full- and part-time non-supervisory employees in food service, trades, department support staff, school-based assistants and attendants, contracted family liaisons, custodial, security, clerical, and transportation employees.
January 9, 2025 - The Fairfax County School Board ratified the Tentative Collective Bargaining Agreements Between Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax Education Unions for the Licensed Instructional and Operational Bargaining Units with an effective date of July 1, 2025.
July 18, 2024 - The Fairfax County School Board certified the Fairfax Education Unions (FEU) as the exclusive representative for the Licensed Instructional and Operational Bargaining units at FCPS. Going forward, FEU will be the exclusive voice of all employees in these bargaining units.
Going forward, the exclusive representative has the right to serve as the exclusive voice for all Bargaining Unit members without discrimination and without regard to Employee Association membership. All rights of the exclusive representatives are stated in Section 4 of the FCPS Collective Bargaining Resolution.
What does this mean to me as an Employee?
Your union representatives will be your voice on all matters related to collective bargaining. They are your first line of support when issues of wages, compensation, benefits, or other terms of employment arise. The union will help you review your issue, research alternatives, provide recommendations, and represent you in reaching solutions.
What does this mean to me as a Supervisor?
FCPS is committed to honoring our employees’ right to exclusive representation. As a supervisor, you must ensure that any issue raised by an employee that is subject to collective bargaining is addressed through their exclusive representative. You should continue addressing operational issues directly with your staff, including covered employees. For issues covered by collective bargaining, such as wages, compensation, benefits and terms and conditions of employment, you must respect the employee’s right to exclusive representation and address the matter with their exclusive representative.
Background, Employee Participation, and Fiscal and Budget Concerns
Virginia General Assembly-approved legislation became effective in May 2021. As a result, counties, cities, and towns in Virginia (including School Boards) can now bargain collectively with employees upon adopting an authorizing ordinance or resolution.
A draft Collective Bargaining Resolution was presented to the School Board on December 15, 2022, and a School Board work session was held on February 28, 2023. The resolution determined the scope and breadth of collective bargaining for Fairfax County Public Schools. At their March 9, 2023 meeting, the Fairfax County School Board voted to approve the FCPS Collective Bargaining Resolution.
FCPS school board met with representatives of the 17 FCPS Certified Employee Associations (CEP) during the spring of 2021 to determine issues common to all and their interests in participating in the process.
Certified Organizations
- Asian Educators Association (AEA).
- Association of Fairfax Professional Educators (AFPE).
- Fairfax Alliance of Black School Educators (FABSE).
- Fairfax Association of Elementary School Principals (FAESP).
- Fairfax Association of School Social Workers (FASSW).
- Fairfax County Directors of Student Activities Association (DSAA).
- Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT).
- Fairfax Education Association (FEA).
- Fairfax Pride.
- Fairfax Speech-Language Pathologists Association (FSLPA).
- Fairfax Support Professionals Association (FSPA).
- High School Directors of Student Services Association (HSDSSA).
- High School Principals Association (HSPA).
- Hispanic Educators Association.
- Middle School Directors of Student Services Association (MSDSSA).
- Middle School Principals Association (MSPA).
- Support Employees Association (SEA).
Timeline
- April 22, 2020 - Virginia General Assembly allows school boards to enter into collective bargaining agreements.
- Spring 2021 - The FCPS School Board met with representatives of the 17 FCPS Certified Employee Associations (CEP) to determine issues common to all and their interests in participating in the process.
- May 1, 2021 - School Board invites active representatives of the 17 FCPS Certified Employee Associations to meet with Board-appointed representatives of FCPS.
- September 2021 to August 2022 - Work group conducts regular meetings.
- November 14, 2022 - Work group reaches consensus on all terms of the drafted resolution and submits for approval.
- December 15, 2022 - FCPS submits resolution to School Board for review and approval.
- February 15, 2023 - Work group reconvenes to reaffirm language of drafted resolution.
While union representation is granted to all employees in the bargaining unit, membership in the union is voluntary. Employees may choose to join or not join a union as a dues-paying member. If an employee joins a union that charges dues, the amount will be determined by the union.
Once a collective bargaining agreement is ratified, union representation is granted to all employees.
- Collective bargaining agreements approved by the FCPS school board will be legally binding and enforceable contracts. However, the Virginia General Assembly law allowing jurisdictions (like FCPS) to engage in collective bargaining (Section 40.1-57.2B) states, “No ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to subsection A shall include provisions that restrict the governing body’s authority to establish the budget or appropriate funds.” Therefore, the law requires that the bargaining agreements remain subject to fiscal/budget limitations.
- Under Virginia code Section 40.1-57.2, a collective bargaining agreement cannot override the FCPS school board’s ultimate authority to allocate money and fund financial commitments. The process for collective bargaining agreement approvals is will be aligned with FCPS’s budget timeline to meet FCPS’s budget preparation deadlines for consideration along with all of the system’s funding choices and obligations.
