Local 1014 Addresses City Negotiations at Intro of Municipal Budget

Local 1014 President Walko addressed City Council as they introduced the City's Municipal Budget on November 2:

Local 1014 last met with the City Administration at the table in early June. We have not received a written proposal from the City to date. We have asked and asked for the written proposal, so we can pass it along to members and fully consider our response. We ask for Council’s help in getting the negotiations back on track.

Supervisory Unit President Candice Jefferson and I met with the Mayor on October 15 but we didn’t get a proposal then. We hope with the introduction of the budget, there will be no further delays.

We were told by the Mayor that he would agree to meetings every other week until we reach agreement. We hope we can keep to that schedule but first need the proposal.

Now, to address the budget

Anyone who knows anything about government knows that the government’s budget is a statement of its priorities. More than what elected officials say, the budget reflects what they believe is important and what they view as less important. The budget introduced today should be viewed in that light.

Local 1014 members are here today to let you know (and let the City Administration know) that City workers should be considered a top priority.

While we know that the document being considered today won’t actually providing a listing of priorities in order which can be reviewed, and while we know that the budget will not have a number setting what workers will get in the contract currently being negotiated, passing this budget will set certain limitations on spending by City government so we ask that you look at it closely.

Many times, in the past, I reported to City Council how City workers have been treated in the past ten years. It will never be emphasized enough that they went through economic hell and they have never been made whole. I challenge anyone to find a group of public workers who have been treated worse than this group over the last decade.

202 Non-Supervisory Unit Workers – Lowest annual salary: $27,847

46 Supervisory Unit Workers

Total 254 Blue and White-Collar Workers

Total Annual Payroll - $13.5M out of budget of around $200M

City workers received no wage increase in 2009 or 2010 and only 1% in 2011

City workers were furloughed one day per week for 26 weeks (losing 20% of their pay for that period and 10% of their pay for the year)

Many City workers were laid off for months in the 2011 layoffs – During this period, workers lost homes, cars, their children withdrew from college, etc. Because of the lost income. City workers furloughed and laid off in 2010 and 2011 have never fully recovered

Wage increases

2009 – 0%

2010 – 0%

2011 – 1%

2012 – 2%

2013 – 2%

2014 – 2%

2015 – 2%

2016 – 2%

2017 – 2%

Avg.  – 1.44%

Total – 13% over 10 years (counting 2018)

Average Non-Supervisory Unit worker now pays $1,700 per year from their paycheck for health coverage (3.5% of their salary)

Employee pension contributions increased 2%

As a result, the net or take-home increase for the average worker was 7.5% or 0.75% per year over the past decade.

In addition

•                    Elimination of step increases for new employees meaning workers hired after November 1, 2012 make approximately 35% less than those hired prior to that date.

•          Reduction in longevity payments

•          Reduction in severance payments

•          In 2016, employees receive their full annual pay but see a reduction in biweekly pay of over 3.7%

This is not making City workers a priority. We ask that Council consider all of this while reviewing the budget and in considering the ongoing negotiations with Local 1014.

 City Council President Curtis Jenkins expressed his support of the City workers and said he would pass along our message to the Mayor.

We will be following up again with the Mayor's Office next week pushing for the written proposal.

Thanks from Local 1014 to those City workers who represented the rest. We should have had more so make sure you thank those that attended on your behalf.