Posted: 8/6/03

City hears negotiations update

Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

Union negotiations have been ongoing since October of 2001 and at Mondayís Wyoming City Council meeting, members Martin English and Lynn Koalska, who represent the city during bargaining, reported on the state of affairs.

Koalska reported that a copy of the proposed contract, related only to pay issues, was given to union representative Dean Tharp to distribute to employees for consideration. The negotiations team is waiting to hear from employees about the proposals.

Koalska said the cost of proposed wage increases, if accepted for 2004, will be about $15,500 more than wages paid in 2003. About $5500 of this increase will be paid from the fees collected for city water and sewer service. The balance will affect the levy.

The entire cost of salaries for full-time city employees in 2004 will be $561,531, and does not include increases in Social Security, Medicare, and retirement (PERA).

Currently the city pays $54,000 for health insurance benefits. If union contracts are approved, this will increase to $73,860 in 2004, an increase of $19,260.

Negotiations have continued for 21 months, through July 24. During that time, legal fees for union negotiations have been $22,160.50, Koalska told council. Legal fees were $7058 for the issue involving Chief of Police Mike Temte and subsequent lost arbitration and were not included in this amount.

The proposed salary increases, $15,463; health insurance benefits, $19, 260; and cost of union negotiations, $22,160.50; total $56,883.50.

As this impacts the city budget, the city will only be allowed to levy 60 percent of lost local government aid for 2004, so $42,400 must be cut from the budget. But, if the proposed contracts are accepted, the additional cost to meet these obligations, $56,883.50, must be added to bring the total to $99,283.50.

Koalska emphasized that during the first year of meetings, while she and former Council member Ed Andler participated, negotiations dealt primarily with language of contracts. Only recently have discussions focused on wages and benefits. Having mediator James Jarvonen involved has helped get negotiations moving more effectively, she said.

Koalska said it appears a number of employees are seeking arbitration without first having negotiated a ìgood faith contract.î She said negotiations have never dealt with separate bargaining units, some of which involve only one or two employees, but the past 18 months have been spent on non-essential employeesÇ base contracts language and economics.

This establishes basic work rules for all employees, she said. It is from these that other contracts are negotiated. There are 11 employees affected.

Even though the city has conceded on large sums, no contracts have been finalized, she added. City Attorney Tom Miller said the contracts were given to Tharp on July 9.

English has participated in the union negotiations since his election last fall. His take on the process is the city is being generous by offering between 2.5 and 3 percent cost of living adjustments and increasing city-paid employee insurance premiums by more than 35 percent.

These are proposed increases at the city level, whereas state employees get no increases for six months, and then a 1.5 percent pay cut for 18 months. Overall the trend at the state level is to hold the line on salaries and reduce the amount of medical insurance premiums paid by the state.

Next steps

Mayor Vern Haag said he wants to see the employee response to the proposed contracts.

He emphasized the ìcouncil has a hard job of monitoring funds for the city.î Those who figure the city can just raise taxes need to learn that levy limits restrict how much (proportion) can be collected through levies, he said. The city ìonly has so many dollars,î he concluded.

Haag sought input from all council members.

Council member Ted Phillips said most of the issues had been covered. Council member Sandy Standridge was absent because of a conflict with a work-related meeting.

Four hour blocks of time are scheduled for negotiations. English and Koalska said many sessions have lasted longer than that. Haag said in terms of time and money the negotiations have been draining on everyone.

City Administrator Dennis Coryell looked into operational expenses and capital funds to see where additional money might be secured. Operational expenses are the costs to run the city and some cannot be reduced. While some funds could be borrowed from capital funds or other reserves, this means funds may not be available for their designated purposes.

Other business

In other business, council:

ïLearned from Coryell that the Police/Best Practices Workshop is scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday Aug. 11, at St. Paul Lutheran Church.

ïLearned that the grievance filed by Police Chief Temte against the City of Wyoming was denied.

ïAgain tabled discussion and decision about the proposed weapon resolution until the next regularly scheduled council meeting, so that all members can participate in discussion.

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