Public works official hints at strike

[Boris]

Public works official hints at strike
By Cari Brokamp
Berwyn Life
Tue Jun 19, 2007, 11:57 AM CDT

Berwyn, IL -

The possibility of a public works strike in Berwyn is "a secret," according to a union spokesman, who called the city's recent approval of a controversial contract an insult to workers.


The city has been grappling with the new contract for its employees for more than a year and a half over a disagreement about the amount of time off workers should receive. The previous contract expired at the end of 2005, and the new contract, passed Tuesday by Berwyn City Council, represents a significant reduction in employee holiday, personal and vacation days.


"It's not a fair offer," said Bill Sullivan, a business agent for the International Brother of Teamsters Local 705 union involved in the Berwyn negotiations, and the spokesman for its public works employees. "In all of our other contracts, employees' wages and working conditions improve with every contract. I've never seen any municipality even attempt to do anything like this."


Union members and city officials agree that the issue of time off was the main point of contention, with the city looking to decrease what it called an excessive amount.


"No one's happy when they have to give up things they already have, but you don't have as many days off as they did unless you're the CEO of a company," said Berwyn Mayor Michael O'Connor. "The union refused to play give-and-take and did not do their best to come to a happy medium, and we had to move on."

The contract reduced employee personal days from 15 to seven per year, holidays from 16 to 12 per year and the maximum accrual of vacation time from six weeks and two days to four weeks. The contract passed by a 4-3 vote.

Sullivan said the provisions put Berwyn's public works employees far behind other municipalities in the area.

"(The City Council) had three people with some semblance of a conscience, but I don't know how the rest could vote to take this much of their benefits away," Sullivan said. "We're not going to accept it, and I don't believe they can implement it."

The mayor, however, said he thought the contract was more than generous, providing a 4 percent salary increase each year through 2008.

"The contract they are left with is fair and still one of the most lucrative public works contracts in the west suburbs, if not the state," O'Connor said. "When they sit back and look at it, I think they'll realize they have a very fair deal."

Public Works Director Patrick Ryan said the department has a contingency plan in case of a strike.

"The city values the people's time working, and the workers value their time off, and that was the hardest sticking point to get both to agree," Ryan said. "I understand why the city came to this point, but I understand why the workers feel as they do. It's unfortunate a different compromise couldn't have been reached, given the long negotiation process."

[Count DMC]

A strike would be best for the City and detremental to the Teamsters, the City could then rehire a whole new workforce. I don't believe it would be in the best interset of some of the slack asses(patronage employees) at Public Works to strike at this juncture. Sounds like a lot of good old Labor negotiation rhetoric.

[Boris]

The contract reduced employee personal days from 15 to seven per year, holidays from 16 to 12 per year and the maximum accrual of vacation time from six weeks and two days to four weeks. The contract passed by a 4-3 vote.

As the mayor said, it is hard to give up what you already have but, MY GOD!!! 15 personal days??!! 16 holidays!!??!! Who the hell gets 16 holidays?? here's your holidays:

New Year's Day            Monday, January 1, 2007

Martin Luther King Jr. Day         Monday, January 15, 2007

President's Day            Monday, February 19, 2007

Memorial Day               Monday, May 28, 2007

Independence Day            Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Labor Day               Monday, September 3, 2007

Columbus Day            Monday, October 8, 2007

Veteran's Day               Monday, November 12, 2007

Thanksgiving Day            Thursday, November 22, 2007

Christmas Day               Tuesday, December 25, 2007


What on earth could the other 6 be? Pulaski Day, Valentine's Day???

[Mama Morton]

The contract reduced employee personal days from 15 to seven per year, holidays from 16 to 12 per year and the maximum accrual of vacation time from six weeks and two days to four weeks. The contract passed by a 4-3 vote.

As the mayor said, it is hard to give up what you already have but, MY GOD!!! 15 personal days??!! 16 holidays!!??!! Who the hell gets 16 holidays?? here's your holidays:

New Year's Day            Monday, January 1, 2007

Martin Luther King Jr. Day         Monday, January 15, 2007

President's Day            Monday, February 19, 2007

Memorial Day               Monday, May 28, 2007

Independence Day            Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Labor Day               Monday, September 3, 2007

Columbus Day            Monday, October 8, 2007

Veteran's Day               Monday, November 12, 2007

Thanksgiving Day            Thursday, November 22, 2007

Christmas Day               Tuesday, December 25, 2007


What on earth could the other 6 be? Pulaski Day, Valentine's Day???

sweet -- where do I apply?

[renovatorbear]

...and they expected the deal to be sweetened even further? 

i'm no math wiz, but that's a lot of time NOT working.

[~LL~]

Public works official hints at strike
By Cari Brokamp
Berwyn Life
Tue Jun 19, 2007, 11:57 AM CDT

Berwyn, IL -

The possibility of a public works strike in Berwyn is "a secret," according to a union spokesman, who called the city's recent approval of a controversial contract an insult to workers.

I swear I read about this 'secret' last week in the Life.  Not in as much detail -- but more like a "Upcoming events" thing.  I do not have access to a copy now.  Anyone else see this -- last week?

[Count DMC]

The guys I talked to said that they did not want it sweetened but they also did not want to lose what was already theirs. The days off were from contracts years ago and were still in, this was not an over nite thing. The guys hardest hit by this are the ones with over 4 weeks vac, say a guy that has been there 20- 30yrs, he is getting taken down to 4 wks over night that would be tough to swallow. But those are the same guys that have it the best, the old timers from the last regime.

[scoon]

It's too bad no one has ever heard of a grandfather clause.

[P-PANTHER a/k/a La Pantera]

^^^^

Now that would be FAIR, wouldn't it?

[P-PANTHER a/k/a La Pantera]

Spaeking of CURRENT issues (cause heaven forbid we mention ANYTHING about the past), seems to me like that dirty SOB OC is at it again screwing the poor city workers. I mean jeez, how can you take something that's rightfully theirs? Heaven forbid. I say grandfather in the WHOLE dept. The taxpayers will understand. Its only fair.

[P-PANTHER a/k/a La Pantera]

...and they expected the deal to be sweetened even further? 

i'm no math wiz, but that's a lot of time NOT working.

Nah. It's simply FAIR.

[OakParkSpartan]

I thought I saw in the life that Pulaski Day, Christmas Eve and possibly the employee's birthday were additional holidays?  Don't quote me on the b-day though.

There also is a provision to buy back some of the vacation time I thought...for a relatively inexpensive price.

I did get a kick out of OC and his CEO comment...I don't know many CEO's that take 6 weeks vacation, unless they are retiring.

Item J-18 in the last packet...
GRRR....the damn things are all images.  Which means you cannot copy and paste the text...nice.

Cheers,
Brian

[Count DMC]

No Panther just grandfather in the guys that have been there 20-30yrs that would be fair wouldnt it? I meant forget the rest of the guys just do for the guys that have paid their dues, you know the old timers. In my experience in the many jobs I have had, those are the guys doing the lion's share of the work! You know the guy's with Seniority!! If you have managed to skate by that long and have made it to the good times shouldn't you be allowed to bask in it? Isn't that fair? Do for them and not for everyone, come on get onboard.

[P-PANTHER a/k/a La Pantera]

I'm sorry Count, you may be right. I think I'm going to throw a sock in the area and see which way the wind takes it. That should settle it, wouldn't you say?

Oh, and by the way, forget about the past. TODAY is what we're talking about. Guess those old timers are out of luck.

[Count DMC]

This just in!!

My sources tell me the Union and City are gearing up for a court battle to determine the fate of this contract implementation. The Union seeking an injunction on the grounds that it is illegal, and the City seeking to enforce because of the stalemate. This could be long and drawn out, both sides hunkering down for a fight. Stay tuned kiddies!!

[OakParkSpartan]

So what happened here?

Council approved the contract.

Did the Teamsters ever ratify it?

If not, how can you have a binding contract if one party does not agree?  Do municipalities have different rules?

Cheers,
Brian

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

If they did strike how many job applications do you think the city would get for those jobs with the decreased benefits?  I think the line would be out the door and around the corner and probably down the block.

[renovatorbear]

I swear I read about this 'secret' last week in the Life.  Not in as much detail -- but more like a "Upcoming events" thing.  I do not have access to a copy now.  Anyone else see this -- last week?

Yes.  Definately.   We read it in last week's paper too.

[Boris]

If they did strike how many job applications do you think the city would get for those jobs with the decreased benefits?  I think the line would be out the door and around the corner and probably down the block.

seriously. If they don't have a ratified contract, they should let them strike and fire the whole lot of them. I'm all for giving good benefits and salaries...but this is ridiculous. The employees should be embarrassed to fight for this.

[mustang54]

So what happened here?

Council approved the contract.

Did the Teamsters ever ratify it?

If not, how can you have a binding contract if one party does not agree?  Do municipalities have different rules?

Cheers,
Brian

I would think your right Brian. Just cuz the city voted on it does not mean they have to accept it. Just don't ratify it and keep working under the old agreement and keep what ya already have.