Today at 9:30am
Fairfax County’s government workers union urged the Board of Supervisors yesterday (Tuesday) to adopt a fiscal year 2022 budget that includes increased compensation for employees, whose year-long pay freeze would be prolonged if the county’s proposed budget takes effect.
The testimony came during the first of three public hearings on the advertised FY 2022 budget that have been scheduled for this week. There will also be hearings at 3 p.m. today and tomorrow (Thursday).
Service Employees International Union Virginia 512, which represents social workers, librarians, maintenance staff, and other general county government employees, says that its top priorities for the new budget are ending the pay freeze and establishing rules for collective bargaining.
By MICHAEL MARTZ
Richmond Times-Dispatch
RICHMOND â Yolanda Ross was happy to receive a check she had long awaited from Virginiaâs Medicaid program as hazard pay for working as a home health worker during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Ross, who makes less than $10 an hour while caring for her disabled adult son in their home in Henrico County, had expected a check for $1,500.
After taxes, she received $971 â a 35% bite.
âIt was a little surprising how much got taxed on it,â Ross said.
The first checks began arriving early this month, almost three months after Gov. Ralph Northam promised the one-time payments to more than 43,000 home health workers who care for Medicaid recipients in their homes instead of institutions.