(PORTSMOUTH, Va.) Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) hosted a signing ceremony for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 22, Nov. 17.

Rear Adm. Darin Via, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFL) commander, and Capt. Shelley Perkins, NMCP’s commanding officer, were present with union and NMCP personnel to sign the new CBA which covers approximately 1,660 NMCP and 30 NMFL employees.

According to Peter Kopacz, NMCP’s executive director, the previous CBA was signed in 1982, and the new one was negotiated for nearly year one year and it contains 46 detailed articles. Additionally, the CBA has been ratified by the union members.

“The Chief Negotiators were Kathleen Giacolone for the agencies, and James Glenn, Sr., for the Union,” Kopacz said in his opening statement.
“The new CBA is good for three years with rollovers in one year increments.”

He also stated that the putting together the new CBA was a testament of management and the Union working together for the good of the employees and the agencies.

“We all came together collectively to make a good product,” said Glenn. “We worked hard and we did it,” added Giacolone. “It was a memorable and monumental task.”

The new CBA was initially signed by Via and Perkins, followed by the members of the negotiation team adding their signatures.

“This not only represents the document for moving forward, but just the fact that it shows our employees that we can get along,” said Perkins. “It also shows people that hard things are OK to do. You shouldn’t just not take something on because it’s hard, and you guys are living proof that’s possible so thank you so much for that.”

Via echoed those sentiments and added, “First off, congratulations. I want to thank my shipmates, and I look at you all when I say that, because it’s more than getting along, it’s we are one team, we have one mission, and we are shipmates whether you wear a civilian uniform or whether you wear a what Capt. Perkins and I are wearing today. I want to thank you all for coming together to do this to keep us moving forward.”

The CBA will now be sent to the Department of the Navy’s Office of Civilian Human Resources (OCHR) for final approval within 30 days of receipt.

As the U.S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating military hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally-acclaimed, state-of-the-art medical center, along with the area's 10 branch health and TRICARE Prime Clinics, provide care for the Hampton Roads area. The medical center also supports premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsman for future roles in healing and wellness.