PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth City Council members are expected to make a vote regarding collective bargaining, which could change the lives of hundreds of city workers.
Ahead of the decision, several city employees held a rally in Portsmouth to show their support and told 13News Now it is years overdue.
"Collective bargaining is a human right! It's not just a right - it's something that we should already have," said one employee.
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers.
For years it was illegal to have such discussions for city employees across Virginia. In 2020, this changed after state lawmakers decided to leave the decision up to individual city leaders.
Portsmouth city union leaders said their benefits and staffing have changed drastically depending on whoever is in charge at a given time.
"Since we've started this process we're going on five city managers," said Kurt Detrick, President of the Portsmouth Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Union. "There is no consistency there for anybody, so by putting this in place now... this starts the groundwork and lets us move forward."
Several efforts are underway to bring collective bargaining to cities across Hampton Roads including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Hampton. However, none have been successful so far.
Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas stopped by the rally in Portsmouth to show her support.
"These are the people who have boots on the ground who take care of us. Without them, they are the backbone of this city, where would we be?" said Lucas.
If successful, Portsmouth would become the first city in Hampton Roads to have collective bargaining for city employees. Virginia Beach is expected to face a similar vote in December this year.