More Wage Increases Coming

Happy New Year. A couple of days late, but the thought of a new start for the city, both on the governmental side and citizen's side, lends itself to visions of new approaches to old problems. In this case, my concern is for the unfinished business of last year, namely contracts for city employees.

We are all aware of the two contracts which were made late last year, the Police and Fire Departments, which will increase city salary expenses by 16 percent in the next three years, but there are two more yet to come.

Contract negotiations will soon be underway with the AFSCME, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. These are the folks who do the work in the city, and, incidentally, do it well. I'm talking about the street department, the clerical staffs, maintenance folks, tree trimmers, sanitation department, the ones who make the city work. There is one clinker here, there always is, in that the folks that work for the Water and Sewer Departments, are paid out of the income from your water and sewer monthly bills. And with that in mind, you know what's coming with water and sewer rates.

Maybe with the start of a new decade, the administration will take a second look at the way these contracts are negotiated. The Police and Fire contracts were negotiated through what is called Interest Based Bargaining. The idea is great. Both sides, the city and the union, get together and put their cards on the table. The union presents its position, including salary, benefits, staffing needs, that sort of thing. Then the city presents it side, financial considerations, plans for future improvements, the ability of budgets to finance the operations of the city, changes in staffing, in short an explanation of what the city can afford. In theory, it is a way that both sides can present their agendas in a way that a compromise can be made so that both sides, by understanding the others position, can work out a financial plan that will benefit all three parties. Whoa. All three parties? Absolutely. The third party is the taxpayer, you know, the one who has to pay the bill.

Well, they tried Interest Based Bargaining for the first time this year. The end result were wage expense increases for the Police and Fire Departments of 16 percent in the next three years. The problem boiled down to gross inexperience in negotiations on the part of the administration. The unions were evidently better prepared and advised than the administration as the end results proved. The negotiations were carried out in secret. City Council was not kept abreast of what was being discussed until the deal was struck. By the time council got involved, it was too late to amend the agreements, and wage cost increases of 16 percent over the next three years became a fact.

More contracts are in the offing for the AFSCME members. The question is are the same mistakes made last year going to be repeated? Is inexperience again going to be pitted against professional union lawyers, and make no mistake about it, union lawyers were intimately involved in advising the union negotiators, or will the city hire lawyers who have the expertise in dealing with union lawyers and contacts? It is important that the city hire the best lawyer negotiators to represent them or these next contract talks will end as disastrously as the previous two. The city desperately needs competent representation in the upcoming contract talks. We cannot again afford representation in any labor negotiation which does not understand the total implications of what is being discussed. A representative who is unaware of the financial status of the city, one which does not make persuasive arguments supporting the city's position, one who does not understand labor law, should have no part in negotiations which are binding on the city.

The representation the city had in the last two negotiation periods, this latest and the 2007 contracts, was far from adequate. The cost of employing knowledgeable people in dealing with the unions will be far outweighed by the savings the city could enjoy. New Philadelphia can no longer afford the inability of representatives who are ineffective in its representation of New Philadelphia. If the Administration does not change its attitude, how long will it be until the city goes into receivership?

As citizens we should be outraged. But, apparently we're not. And that's the sad part. Our city is on the verge of financial collapse and the public doesn't care enough to attend council meetings. When taxes are involved, few if any, attend the hearings. When water, sewer, and sanitation price increases come up, as they will in the coming months, public comment to council and the administration will probably be none. Why don't you care? It is your city. It is your money. If you aren't working, have had your wages cut, had expenses increase, the government at any level doesn't care. They still are going to raise taxes. Citizens, you must get involved.