Contract time!

[softscrubb]

So..with a looming set of contract meetings next week, I thought I might pose a question to other agencies and see what the response might be.

The current proposal is five years, with no pay raises, after five years of no pay raises. The increases are all 'non-pensionable' increases to flex.

Year 1- plus $1900
Year 2- plus $2400 (total, not in addition to the 1900)
Year 3- plus $4200

The union also proposes a $3400 annual addition in lieu of holiday pay. Yes, they basically have washed out holiday pay in order to get everyone flex increases.

As it stands, you work a holiday you get time and a half, plus 10 hours of holiday pay. The new plan gives you 10 hrs of straight pay and 8 hours (on a 10 hour day) of discretionary leave. If the holiday is on a day off we got 10 hours for it. The new plan would be zero if on a day off. Basically it is trying to spread out holiday pay for everyone across to a consistent flex increase.

Thoughts?

[Falconis]

Sounds like they are trying to give you the shaft now and the shaft again later.

[Ron-Solo]

Sounds like they are trying to give you the shaft now and the shaft again later.

About sums it up........

Prepare to Bend Over.......

......bend!

[9mmepiphany]

I must say I've never been paid anything extra for working on holidays, it was just part of the job...like have to work 11 hours on a 10 hour shift because the clocks were set back (Fall) during your shift...all straight time; they said we'd make it back up in the Spring when we only worked 9 hours

What they gave us was Holiday-In-Lieu (HIL) hours ...4 hr/pay period = 104 hr/yr = 13 days/yr...to use as we wanted.

Is this their First Offer?

[CBR_rider]

Hmmm.. Well you certainly don't seem to be gaining anything. I would expect working holidays at time and a half as well as getting 10hrs for them to be attacked pretty hard.

[9mmepiphany]

Plus it would be pretty hard to defend on any basis other than "Past Practice"

[Che762x39]

It is what it is ...

1981 was one thing, 1990 was another but 2013 if you did not get the goodies in the past nothing great is happening today.

[solanoshooter]

It depends on what you think the economy in your city/county is going to do. If you think it's going to stay flat or increase, I don't see any benefit locking into a 5 year contract. If you don't think you have seen the bottom yet, locking in makes sense. But you're rolling the dice either way.

[veeklog]

I would say it isn't going to get better anytime soon for anyone in LE. We have not had a cost of living allowance in three plus years, and I don't foresee one in the future. So much for those that say that public employees have it better under Democrats.

As daily living expenses go and as new "taxes" go into effect January 1, 2014, more and more Americans definitely feel the pinch and have to look for elsewhere to continue the same standard of living they are used to.

[Heiko]

Are you in CalPERS and are they trying to get you guys on pension/retirement contributions? To me, that's the soft underbelly where they can really stick us. Rumor has it CalPERS will be asking participating counties to up their contributions to help sustain it so naturally that cost will be passed on to employees.

[solanoshooter]

Are you in CalPERS and are they trying to get you guys on pension/retirement contributions? To me, that's the soft underbelly where they can really stick us. Rumor has it CalPERS will be asking participating counties to up their contributions to help sustain it so naturally that cost will be passed on to employees.

It's more than a rumor. Employer rates are going up. Estimates are approximately 50% over the next 5 years.

http://www.calpers.ca.gov/eip-docs/employer/actuarial-gasb/gasb-fact-sheet.pdf

[CaptMike]

We haven't had any raises since 2007. Our union just agreed to a 2% increase starting july 1 but it will be retro back to february of this year. An additional 2% july 2014 and a final 2% in December 2014. All other benefits stay the same except for an approximate half % increase in retirement cost. So ultimately we are looking at a net gain of about 5 1/2% by december 2014. Its all pensionable. We can renegotiate starting january 2015.

[SVT-40]

Multi year contracts are good when you are locking in gains....And horrible when nothing is offered..

I negotiated for may association over the last 20 years I was there, and contracted with them to negotiate for them after I retired...2006 to 2012 we were able to get a 30% overall salary and benefits increase, plus other benefits. A absolutely awsome contract....

2012 to 2015 were were able to get a overall increase of 5%...We did tier retirements for future employees, and phased in covering the employee paid portion of PERS during the 2012 to 2015 contract. But still there was a net of +5% over the three year contract.
.

Five years at zero on top of five years at zero.... Make them impose a one year zero.... then get active with your city council.


All in all a very good contract considering the financial times

There is no upside to the contract they are offering, but without knowing the agency and it's finances it would just be speculation as how to best handle your negotiation issues...