Last week, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2068 announced it won an election to represent Fairfax County fire and rescue employees in collective bargaining with county government.
IAFF Local 2068, which represents approximately 1,500 firefighters, fire marshals, apparatus mechanics and medics in the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, held an election for representation from Oct. 10 to 31. The union won the election for representation with over 95 percent of votes, or 797 of 837 votes.
This will be the first time in over 40 years Virginia public sector workers won the right to collectively bargain in their locality. Collective bargaining in Virginia localities had been paused since 1977, when a Virginia Supreme Court ruling stopped local governments from collective bargaining with their employees.