(a) Employee organizations have the following rights:
(1) To meet with bargaining unit employees on the premises of the County in public spaces during times when the employees are on break or in a non-duty status, in accordance with County policy;
(2) To hold information sessions or membership meetings twice a year in all County Facilities. The organization shall be located in an area that allows County employees to visit during their off-duty time or break;
(3) To use County electronic mail (e-mail) systems to communicate employee organization business or activities, or employee organizing activity. Any use of the County's e-mail systems is subject to the County's applicable administrative policies and the purposes identified in section 259.04(d) and as such, employee communications on County communications systems are not considered private. Employee organizations may use telephones and bulletin boards to communicate with employees.
(b) Any employee organization recognized as the exclusive bargaining representative for employees in a bargaining unit shall have the following rights:
(1) To speak on behalf of, and represent the interests of, all members of the bargaining unit without discrimination and without regard to employee organization membership;
(2) To meet with newly hired employees for thirty minutes during employee orientation or, if the County fails to conduct new employee orientation at individual or group meetings within the first thirty days of hire, individually or as otherwise set forth in a collective bargaining agreement, without charge to the pay or leave time of those employees. The County shall give the exclusive bargaining representative the New Hire Orientation calendar. The County shall provide the exclusive bargaining representative with an electronic list of expected participants at least forty-eight hours in advance of the orientation. The certified representative shall also have the right to provide materials for the orientation packet;
(3) To be represented at: (1) any formal meeting involving its bargaining unit employee(s) regarding a matter that is within the scope of collective bargaining as set forth in the definition of collective bargaining, or (2) any interview of an exclusive bargaining representative's bargaining unit employee(s) by a representative of the County in connection with an investigation if the employee(s) reasonably believes that the interview involves a matter that could lead to discipline, and the employee requests representation. The County shall inform all employees on a semi-annual basis that employees have a right to union representation prior to the portion of any such meeting or interview that involves a matter within the scope of bargaining or a matter relating to discipline, and the employee shall have a right to request union representation before proceeding with that portion of the meeting or interview;
(4) To meet with individual employees on the premises of the employer during the workday to investigate and discuss grievances, workplace-related complaints, and other workplace issues, provided that such meetings do not interfere with the work of the County. The County shall provide a location for such meetings to be held;
(5) Official Time: Prior to the ratification of a collective bargaining agreement, eligible employees representing an exclusive bargaining representative directly involved in the negotiation of a CBA or the processing of grievances under this chapter shall be authorized to engage in such negotiations and grievance handling during work time. Such official time shall be granted as set forth in a written agreement between the County and the exclusive bargaining representative employees involved in the negotiation, and the written agreement shall state such official time is reasonable, necessary, and in the public interest.
(6) If no employee organization has been certified as the exclusive representative, multiple employee organizations may be eligible to receive regular and periodic dues payments.
(7) The County shall deduct and promptly remit dues for any employee who has authorized dues deductions in accordance with this section.
(8) To be the only employee organization eligible to receive regular and periodic dues payments deducted from the pay of employees by the County pursuant to the employees' written authorizations. An authorization that satisfies the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (Virginia Code § 59.1-479 et seq.) shall be valid for employees' authorizations for payroll deductions.
The requirements set forth in this section establish the minimum requirements for access to and communication with bargaining unit employees by an exclusive bargaining representative. These requirements shall not prevent the County from granting the exclusive bargaining representative greater access to or communication with employees and shall not prevent the parties from negotiating for increased access.
(Ord. 21-19. Passed 12-7-21.)