CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Albemarle County School Board Thursday night approved two contracts, one for licensed and the other for unlicensed employees, as the first ever under the county’s new collective bargaining ordinance the Board of Supervisors passed in April 2024.

“We are thrilled for our employees to finally have meaningful changes in their wages, benefits, and working conditions that were entirely based on their wants and needs,” Albemarle Education Association President Mary McIntyre told Cville Right Now. “Albemarle County is one of the largest employers in the area, so our new contracts will have a positive impact on the entire community.”

McIntyre was a public commenter during the meeting, granted an exception to speak for five minutes instead of the customary three, because she was speaking for a number of people and groups.

The AEA is the recognized entity with whom the county negotiates school employee agreements.

McIntyre said at the meeting, “Today is not the end of anything, it’s really the turning of the page and we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us.”

“The road that brought us here was rocky and things will not always be smooth as we shift into the new reality we so aspirationally bargained for.”

She said they will strive for good transparent communication and operate with integrity in addressing issues as they arise.

“And to give each other some grace as nearly all of us will be implementing bargained contracts for the very first time,” McIntyre said.

Jack Jouett School Board member Kate Acuff agreed there more work to do.

“We have spent the past almost three years negotiating the rules for negotiating, and then actually negotiating the contracts, and at the same time the General Assembly is looking at legislation impacting collective bargaining,” Acuff said.

“So we’ll have to wait and see whether or how than might impact our agreements.”

McIntyre said while the contracts are not perfect, they are wide-reaching and creative.

“In one big chunk, our employees have gained things they have asked for for decades, and we are confident this will improve employee morale and retention,” McIntyre said.

The two contracts include for all employees things such as increased tuition reimbursement, six-weeks paid parental leave, five days of paid bereavement leave, and formation of a labor-management committee.

The licensed employee agreement includes annual 3.75% pay increases, widen step differences for increases, a new scale for school mental health personnel, 25 minutes duty-free lunch in 2027 and 2028 with an increase to 30 minutes in 2029. and enhances and guaranteed planning time for elementary teachers.

The non-licensed employee agreement includes 4.25% annual increases as Acuff said they’ve fallen behind on salary more than anyone else, clarity around department procedures, paid 15-minute breaks and duty-free meal breaks, clarity on temporary promotions and covering for vacant positions, and HVAC standards.