The on-going economic slump has made for rough going at the bargaining table at many public sector employers.
Paradise Irrigation District negotiations, begun on May 27, have featured concessionary demands by the District in the neighborhood of 20%. The next meeting is scheduled for June 9. An “all-hands” membership meeting is scheduled for June 16.
AC Transit negotiations, stalled for months, are scheduled to conduct a second round of State Mediation on June 3 in Oakland. The District has proposed changing the basic workweek from Monday-Friday to Sunday-Saturday., a two-tier pension plan, a 90/10 split on medical and dental, reduced opt-out incentives, elimination of the Veteran’s Day holiday, and reduction in the contribution to retiree medical.
City of Oakland negotiations have included City proposals for 5% wage reductions, salary step freezes, 5% employee contribution to employer share or PERS (the employees already pay the 8% employee share), and a two-tier pension for new hires, and 12 mandatory unpaid leave days per year. The MOU between the City and Local 1245 expires June 30.
Plumas Sierra REC has proposed to increase the employee cost share of medical from 1% to 10%. The next bargaining session is scheduled for June 6.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority offerred zero on wages during the recent wage re-opener.
Tentative agreements are scheduled to be voted on in coming days at Truckee Donner PUD, City of Fernley.
Member solidarity with the union’s bargaining committees is especially important during this period of economic distress in the public sector. Although many of our employers are experiencing genuine economic problems, it is critical that we resist efforts by management to use these problems as an excuse to make unreasonable and unjustified demands.