The Manassas City School Board has voted 5-2 against allowing collective bargaining for its employees, following a lengthy presentation and passionate discussion during its April 8, 2025, meeting. The decision came after board members weighed financial considerations and community feedback, including from Manassas City Councilwoman Sonia Vazquez Luna, a union leader who voiced her support for the proposal.
The vote on Resolution R2025-03 was preceded by an in-depth presentation from Associate Superintendent John Gefeller, who outlined the fiscal and operational implications of adopting collective bargaining. Gefeller explained that if approved, the school division would need to add six full-time positions, including a chief negotiating officer, chief legal officer, labor relations coordinator, labor specialist, budget analyst/payroll specialist, and administrative assistant.
The estimated cost of these positions, salaries, and benefits would exceed $1 million annually. Additionally, legal costs associated with negotiating a collective bargaining agreement could range from $256,100 to over $993,000, depending on whether the process takes two or four years—durations seen in nearby school divisions.
“Our division has no experience with collective bargaining,” said Gefeller. “We do not have the infrastructure in place to assume responsibility for the collective bargaining process with our current staffing.”
During the discussion, board member Dayna-Marie Miles asked what the school system could afford in lieu of collective bargaining. Gefeller responded that a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for teachers would cost $3.65 million, while the already-proposed 5.5% raise for Fiscal Year 2026 would cost $6.8 million.
Miles suggested that the school division could instead provide one-time bonuses of $2,000 for each of its 640 certified teachers (about $1.28 million) and $1,500 for each of its 535 non-certified staff members (about $802,500), totaling slightly more than $2 million. “Everyone has a pocketbook, but not everyone’s pocketbook is the same,” said Miles, who compared the division’s finances to a single mother of three trying to keep up with a single man with no kids.
Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg, Vice Chair Jill Spall, and members Dayna-Marie Miles, Dr. Zella Jones, and Sara Brescia voted in favor of the resolution, opposing collective bargaining. Board members Lisa Stevens and Diana Brown voted against the resolution.
Councilwoman Sonia Vazquez Luna, who serves as Business Manager for LIUNA Public Service Employees Local 572, spoke during public comment in support of collective bargaining. “This is a matter of respect and fairness,” she said. “Our school staff deserves a voice at the table, just like every other profession that builds strong communities. I’m proud to support them—as both a City Council member and union representative.”
Vazquez Luna’s comments reflected the sentiments of other public speakers who urged the school board to support the resolution. Many expressed frustration that despite years of service and commitment, educators and support staff had limited power to advocate for better pay, working conditions, and benefits.
Opponents of collective bargaining also spoke. One parent questioned whether the proposal was fiscally responsible given the school division’s size and funding constraints. Another resident said she feared that adopting collective bargaining would slow down needed reforms in the school division and tie the hands of school leaders.
Board member Brescia said she supported the resolution to preserve flexibility in budgeting and protect services that benefit students. “There are only three states in the union that allow collective bargaining without giving local school boards the power to raise taxes—Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland,” she said. “This isn’t sustainable.”
Board member Brown, herself a longtime union member, acknowledged the value of union support and representation but ultimately voted against the resolution. “This vote does not mean I oppose collective bargaining in principle,” she said. “But I cannot support it right now given the financial strain it would place on our schools.”
In response to staff feedback, school leaders said they will implement a new “meet and confer” process starting in September. This structured process will allow representatives from each school and employee association to raise concerns, suggest changes, and receive formal responses from the division. Four meetings are planned for the 2025-26 school year.
While the board’s decision effectively halts any immediate progress toward a collective bargaining agreement, the conversation is likely to continue. Several board members said they remained open to the idea in the future—if adequate funding and infrastructure could be secured.
In March 2024, the neighboring Prince William County Public Schools, which is 13 times the size of Manassas schools, ratified its first Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Prince William Education Association (PWEA). This three-year agreement, effective from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027, encompasses certified/licensed personnel and classified employees, excluding those not defined as employees in the resolution. The CBA addresses topics such as association and board rights and responsibilities, grievance procedures, and provisions related to salaries, stipends, and benefits.
Prior to this agreement, in December 2022, the School Board adopted a resolution permitting collective bargaining for its employees. This decision followed the 2020 Virginia General Assembly’s legislation that granted school divisions the option to allow collective bargaining, effective May 1, 2021.
Manassas City Public Schools serves 8,000 students in seven schools: five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
The Manassas City School Board will vote Tuesday, April 8, 2025, on whether to formally prohibit collective bargaining with employee unions—a decision that could halt a movement launched earlier this year by local educators.
The resolution up for consideration, R2025-03, declares that no official or employee of the school division has the authority to recognize a labor union as a bargaining agent or to enter into collective bargaining agreements. It reaffirms the board’s current stance of non-engagement with employee unions and instead promotes a “meet and confer” model for addressing employee concerns.
The vote comes two months after the Manassas Education Association (MEA) informed the board it planned to launch a collective bargaining campaign. During a February 5, 2025, school board meeting, board members acknowledged the initiative and discussed potential legal and budgetary ramifications.
“We’re gonna have to budget more money for the attorneys. It’s gonna be a lot,” said Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg at the time.
Board Member Sara Brescia noted the MEA’s intention to notify the board before publicizing the campaign on social media. “They wanted to let us know before they put it on Facebook and heard it from somebody else,” she said.
Under a 2021 Virginia law, local school boards may adopt resolutions allowing or denying collective bargaining. Without such a resolution, no union can legally negotiate on behalf of school employees. The law did not include funding to help localities implement collective bargaining processes.
A presentation by Deputy Superintendent Craig Gfeller estimates that adopting collective bargaining could cost Manassas City Public Schools more than $1 million annually in staffing and legal fees. Additional costs would arise from arbitration, mediation, and changes to grievance and disciplinary procedures.
Instead of recognizing bargaining agents, the school division plans to create a formal “meet and confer” process. According to Gfeller, this model will establish regular work sessions between school representatives, support staff, employee associations, and administrators to discuss concerns and priorities—excluding issues directly related to personnel.
The School Board’s resolution emphasizes maintaining open communication with employees and fostering a positive workplace through internal advisory councils and committees. It also notes that unresolved disputes between the board and its employees can negatively affect staff morale and student outcomes.
If the resolution passes, it will officially end union negotiations, setting Manassas apart from a growing number of Virginia school divisions that have embraced collective bargaining.
The vote is scheduled during the board’s regular meeting on April 8, which is open to the public.
Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg opened the discussion by acknowledging the Manassas Education Association notification that they intended to begin their campaign: "The MEA would like to initiate their collective bargaining campaign. So we can talk about that in the future, or if you have any questions now, we can try and address them. We’re gonna have to budget more money for the attorneys. It’s gonna be a lot."
Board Member Sara Brescia questioned the necessity of the MEA’s formal notification. "I don’t think they had to tell us that they were initiating a collective bargaining campaign." However, she noted that the MEA may have wanted to inform the board before making a public announcement. "They wanted to let us know before they put it on Facebook and heard it from somebody else."
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Prince William County police and fire and rescue employees will see pay increases and new benefits oi the coming year thanks to union lobbyists.
Deputy County Executive Quintin Hayes delivered a comprehensive presentation to the Board of County Supervisors, outlining the critical elements of the proposed collective bargaining ordinance, which supervisors approved during their meeting on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
The presentation covered various components, providing a detailed overview of the background, negotiation process, and fiscal impacts of the tentative agreements with the Prince William County Police Association (PWCPA) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).
Hayes began by highlighting the historical context, noting that the Board had adopted the collective bargaining ordinance in November 2022, with subsequent amendments in July 2023. He said he emphasized the significance of avoiding impasse during negotiations, an achievement for the county’s negotiating team.
The negotiating team, composed of representatives from the county attorney’s office, human resources, the fire department, the police department, and external counsel, played a role. Hayes acknowledged the team’s dedication and the input received from various county offices, including the Office of Executive Management and the Office of Management and Budget.
Supervisors voted seven to one to approve the collective bargaining agreements, underscoring the significance of this development in the county’s approach to labor relations with its first responders. Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega cast the lone dissenting vote.
Woodbridge Distirct Supervisor Margaret Franklin called the process a “labor of love” and recognized that while the unions didn’t get everything they wanted, the agreement was a positive step forward.
Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry said that while initially concerned about collective bargaining, he stepped back and trusted the team, recognizing their capability to navigate the process. He noted that the package addressed important aspects such as pay, maternal leave, and other benefits, bringing the county up to speed with contemporary workforce considerations.
Brentsville District Supervisor Tom Gordy also expressed his initial reservations about collective bargaining but acknowledged the importance of addressing retention issues within the county. He thanked the fire union for proactively sharing their perspectives and recognized the need to remain flexible and competitive in wages to retain trained and qualified personnel.
Gordy emphasized the dynamic nature of the region and the potential changes in wage rates among other localities, stressing the importance of flexibility to maintain competitiveness. While not his preference, he acknowledged the competitive reality of the situation and expressed his commitment to supporting the police and fire departments in their efforts to keep the community safe.
Gainesville Supervisor Bob Wier said he is torn over the agreement and will address its costs during the budget process in April. “There are people who are going to be angry with me for voting in favor of it, but the fiscally conservative, responsible side of me sees an upside in this that I rarely find, and that’s that we know what the set cost is going to be,” said Wier.
The tentative collective bargaining agreements were ratified by the PWCPA on October 19, 2023, and the IAFF on October 26, 2023. The unions managed the voting process independently.
According to Hayes, detailed fiscal impact studies examined direct and indirect costs. Direct costs encompassed wages, certification pay, specialty pay, overtime pay, and other compensation.
The agreement with PWCPA included the establishment of a pay scale committee, a $1,000 lump sum payment effective July 1, 2024, a total of $636,000, on-call pay costing an additional $3.6 million, and it entitles officers to receive one hour of overtime for each day assigned to overtime.
The agreement also calls for a 50-cent increase in shift differential pay and introduces six weeks of paid family leave at the cost of about $157,000 family leave. It also increases the comp leave cap from 80 hours to 120. Crime scene technicians will get $1 add-on pay for about $213,000 for about 95 crime scene technicians.
The agreement with firefighters featured a transition from a 56-hour work week to a 50-hour work week, which will require hiring 30 more firefights for $6.5 million. The move comes after county firefighters pleaded with supervisors to change their work schedules from a 48-hour week to a 56-hour week, promising it would improve employee retention and morale.
Supervisors also improved market adjustments for existing staff costing $1.2 million, $650,000 in stipends for certifications, paid family leave totaling $343,000, and increased comp leave cap from 80 to 120 hours.
All employees are already budgeted for a 3% merit performance increase in the upcoming budget.
The total cost for fiscal year 2025, starting July 1, 2024, is $16 million.
Prince William County Public Schools Ombudsman Monique Bookstein delivered her annual report to the School Board of the yearly report of the 2022-2023 school year. Bookstein says this year's total number of visitors was 298, a 54% increase from the prior school year.
Bookstein said the increase could have been because parents, staff, and community members feel they don’t have the means to communicate their issues properly. The organization allows visitors to voice their concerns non-biasedly and seek help in confidentiality.
Bookstein described how she works with her clients. First, there is an initial conversation between the visitor and Bookstein, and the roles are clarified on what Bookstein can and cannot do. Bookstein will then work with the visitor to understand the situation, analyze it, explore options, and discuss next steps.
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Prince William County Supervisors amended its collective bargaining ordinance, allowing full-time employees to negotiate salaries and benefits.
With Democrats in control of the Virginia General Assembly in 2020, they restored the ability for local county and city employees to unionize. The bargaining process is expected to cost taxpayers millions each year. Collective bargaining will replace the county's "meet and confer" process used in years past, in which local government department heads met with the county executive to discuss employee concerns.
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As Prince William County Public Schools get closer to passing a collective bargaining agreement, it's clear how much it will cost taxpayers to allow teachers to wrangle over pay.
"It's entirely reasonable to expect it will be seven figures," said school division attorney Wade T. Anderson. Gainesville District School Board member Jennifer Wall pressed him for a a firm estimate, but he couldn't provide it.
