FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
13 March 2024
VIRGINIA, MN

Press Contact
Ezra Kane-Salafia
610-858-1738
[email protected]

AFSCME members reach deal with City of Virginia

VIRGINIA, MN – After 8 hours of negotiations, AFSCME members and the City of Virginia
reached a deal that will end the strike. The tentative agreement was approved by the City
Council in a session shortly after the agreement was reached. It was then approved by an
overwhelming majority of the members of AFSCME Local 454 at a meeting this evening.

Scott DaRonco, President of AFSCME Local 454 said “We’re glad to be getting back to work
for the citizens of Virginia. This was a fair deal when they bait-and-switched us last week.
It’s still a fair deal today, but it’s unfortunate that the City Council decided to screw around
with 62 working families and the citizens of Virginia just to get back to that fair deal.”
The deal resolves a number of questions about insurance costs, as well as questions about
compensation that lingered after the City Council unexpectedly revoked it’s own final o`er
last week.

Shannon Douvier, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 65, was in mediation all day
today. She said “The City Council pushed hard to dump the problems created by their
financial mismanagement on these working families. We pushed back and with the support
of the community and union members across the state, we won a contract that AFSCME
Local 454 overwhelmingly voted to approve.”

Hundreds of members of both Minnesota AFSCME Councils and other unions from across
the state rallied outside city hall during the mediations and put pressure on the City
Councilors to reach a deal.

DaRonco said “It was really incredible to see the power of working people standing
together. I just can’t say enough about how grateful I am to all the union members, local
businesses and community members who have supported us through this. We won’t forget
how you stood with us.”

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