Action Alert – Feb 11 2016

Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 06:15am

Action alert: Call selected delegates by 5 p.m. today to OPPOSE bill invalidating local grievance procedures

Action needed by 5 p.m.: OPPOSE HB 1293(Hugo) which provides that qualifying grievances shall advance to either an impartial panel hearing or a hearing before an administrative hearing officer as agreed upon by both parties, as set forth in the locality’s grievance procedure; however, if both parties cannot come to an agreement, an impartial panel shall be used.

SEE TALKING POINTS BELOW

What the bill would mean for localities

As introduced, HB 1293 (Hugo) this bill would invalidate all local government grievance procedures that are approved by the Department of Human Resource Management. It forces local governments and the grievant to agree either an impartial panel or an administrative hearing officer and then to agree on who that administrative hearing officer is. This bill was aimed at a particular police department and it is important to note that the police have their own “Law Enforcement Officers Procedural Guarantee Act” as outlined in Virginia Code Section 9.1-500, et. seq.. Should this bill be adopted, localities will have to rewrite their grievance procedures.
Deadline: The committee meets tomorrow at 8 a.m.! Call/email members of the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee by 5 p.m. today, Feb. 11.

Who to contact: Ingram; Marshal, Robert; Marshall, D.W.; Poindexter; Morefield; Stolle; Witt; Morris; Hodges; Webert; Taylor; Austin; Campbell; Pillon; Collins; Spruill; Herring; Mason; Heretick; Boysko; Bell, John; Krizek

Talking points:

This sweeping measure:

Eliminates grievance procedures that have been in place and approved by the Department of Human Resource Management.
Will make it difficult for a disgruntled employee and the locality to agree on a process and/or an administrative hearing officer.
Takes away the locality’s power to have a grievance procedure in place that has worked and is known to all employees.
Is unnecessary because the police have additional protections as outlined in the Virginia State Code.

VML contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org