Unions: No new concessions but will continue talks

Mayor Williams and Safety Service Director Joe Geers reported during last night’s City Council meeting that the 4 bargaining units have declined to concede to the Finance Committee’s recent request for more concessions (see blog immediately below), although all of the units are willing to continue talks in the coming days and weeks. Mr. Geers said members of the public works and clerical unions want to know precisely how the proposed 36-hour week will impact sick days, pensions, vacation days, longevity pay, etc. before they will agree to anything. It appears the only concessions on the table are those the police and fire unions presented to City Council last Wednesday, and they will be formalized in writing for council to consider prior to passing a budget by the end of the month.

Regarding the budget, Ward 1 Councilperson Keith Moore expressed reservations about some of the numbers in Exhibit A, the proposed budget presented to council by the Finance Committee. He said he would not vote for it in its current form. Mr. Schneider took that to mean that Mr. Moore would vote only for his own budget and not Exhibit A. There appears to be a growing consensus, though, that whatever version of the 2011 budget council ultimately passes will be approximate only, or “fluid” as Mr. Mumper stated, because expenditures will inevitably change throughout the budget year, which will cause the need to reallocate revenue.

More Finance Committee and Council meetings are scheduled between now and March 29. We will post the schedules when they are available.