ALLIANCE ‒ City Council has rejected a police supervisors’ labor contract over raises.
The June 15 proposal included raises of 8%, 3% and 3% over three years. The first year was the problem.
Councilman Ed Lohnes said council wants the administration to renegotiate, noting a 6% first-year raise has been standard.
The contract rejection comes as council continues to question and criticize the city administration’s handling of labor contract negotiations going back to March.
Council members said they have 30 days to approve or reject labor contracts, but often receive few details until legislation is suddenly introduced, triggering the 30-day window.
The same happened with the police supervisors’ contract.
“Why was this dropped (and put on the agenda) on May 18 at 5:30 p.m.? Who dropped it?” Councilman Kris Burgara asked Mayor Andy Grove. Meetings started at 6 p.m.
Grove said: “I don’t know.”
Bugara said it should’ve waited until the June 1 meeting to give council members more time to review the proposal before the 30-day window started. That didn’t happen.
“We’re forced to vote on it and it was never costed,” an upset Bugara told Grove.
Councilwoman Sheila Cherry requested a workshop discussion with administrative officials to improve the situation. She said it is currently unacceptable.
Lohnes introduces proposal to no longer recognize 1 union
Additionally, Lohnes wants to strip voluntary recognition of a supervisory bargaining unit within the administration and have members be non-bargaining employees.
He introduced Resolution No. 47-26 on June 15.
The resolution would declare the collective bargaining agreement with the Federation of United Employees as expired, since its successor contract was rejected in March.
The FUE union has 15 members.
The resolution also would withdraw voluntary recognition of the same union, which includes supervisory and management-level employees who receive non-bargained increases.
Lohnes said this unit was never certified by the State Employment Relations Board and the city’s recognition of the unit has been voluntary.
No action was taken June 15 on the Lohnes’ resolution.
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Alliance City Council rejects labor deal, faults administration
Reporting by Benjamin Duer, Canton Repository / The Repository
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By Benjamin Duer, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
