Employees of the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA), members of UFCW Local 400, ratified a strong four-year collective bargaining agreement last week that provides for significant pay increases ranging from 10.5 percent to 33 percent, an additional holiday (Juneteenth), and continued comprehensive benefits and leave policies.
This is their second contract, having bargained their first agreement shortly after they won Local 400 representation on September 15, 2020.
“Our members at the Democratic Party of Virginia work long and hard to elect pro-worker officials who enact pro-worker policies, and they have more than earned this excellent collective bargaining agreement,” said Local 400 President Mark P. Federici. “This is traditionally difficult work with long hours at low pay, but by empowering themselves with Local 400 representation, they have built a humane workplace and raised their living standards considerably.
“I also want to salute DPVA management for walking their pro-labor talk,” he noted. “They are practicing with their own employees what they preach and in return, they have an outstanding team of campaign professionals to advance the party’s interests.”
Local 400 became the first union to organize a presidential campaign when employees of the Bernie Sanders for President Campaign unionized in May 2019. The employees of DPVA soon did the same. Local 400 also organized employees the Lee Carter for Governor campaign in 2021.