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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>363473</law_id><section_number>40.1-57.2</section_number><catch_line>Collective bargaining</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><referred_to_by><reference>40.1-55</reference><reference>40.1-57.3</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="89" identifier="40.1">Labor and Employment</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="7" identifier="4">Labor Unions, Strikes, Etc</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="2" identifier="2.1">Collective Bargaining for Governmental Employees</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No state, county, city, town, or like governmental officer, agent, or governing body is vested with or possesses any authority to recognize any labor union or other <span class="dictionary">employee</span> association as a bargaining agent of any <span class="dictionary">public officers or employees</span>, or to collectively bargain or enter into any collective bargaining <span class="dictionary">contract</span> with any such union or association or its agents with respect to any matter relating to them or their employment or service unless, in the case of a <span class="dictionary">county, city, or town</span>, such authority is provided for or permitted by a local <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or by a resolution. Any such <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution shall provide for procedures for the certification and decertification of exclusive bargaining representatives, including reasonable public notice and opportunity for labor organizations to intervene in the process for designating an exclusive representative of a bargaining unit. As used in this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">county, city, or town</span>&#x201D; includes any local school <span class="dictionary">board</span>, and &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">public officers or employees</span>&#x201D; includes employees of a local school <span class="dictionary">board</span>. <a id="paragraph-1354565" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/40.1-57.2/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> No <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution adopted pursuant to subsection A shall include provisions that restrict the governing body&#x2019;s authority to establish the budget or appropriate funds. <a id="paragraph-1354566" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/40.1-57.2/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> For any governing body of a <span class="dictionary">county, city, or town</span> that has not adopted an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution providing for collective bargaining, such governing body shall, within 120 days of receiving certification from a majority of public employees in a unit considered by such employees to be appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining, take a vote to adopt or not adopt an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution to provide for collective bargaining by such public employees and any other public employees deemed appropriate by the governing body. Nothing in this subsection shall require any governing body to adopt an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution authorizing collective bargaining. <a id="paragraph-1354567" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/40.1-57.2/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A regarding a local <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution granting or permitting collective bargaining, no officer elected pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 of the Constitution of Virginia or any <span class="dictionary">employee</span> of such officer is vested with or possesses any authority to recognize any labor union or other <span class="dictionary">employee</span> association as a bargaining agent of any <span class="dictionary">public officers or employees</span>, or to collectively bargain or enter into any collective bargaining <span class="dictionary">contract</span> with any such union or association or its agents, with respect to any matter relating to them or their employment or service. <a id="paragraph-1354568" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/40.1-57.2/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1993, cc. 868, 879; 2020, cc. 1209, 1276.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
