Negotiation teams from both sides reached an interim agreement friday ahead of a union vote over the weekend, Morris said. With the support of the unions, the agreement is now awaiting final approval by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. In an article published on the union`s Facebook page on 27 February, Stephen Switzer, the union`s director, wrote that LIUNA`s primary objective was to avoid the “unbearable” conditions of the county`s latest, best and last offer being imposed, while preserving the “general integrity” of the latest contract. If the union ratifies the agreement, it will be subject to board approval. County spokeswoman Brooke Federico said the terms of the agreement will be available as soon as it is on the board`s agenda. Increases were the biggest stumbling block. In general, the county tried to limit the increases, while the unions fought for larger wage increases. The union blew up the county for its $40 million contract with Dutch services company KPMG, which was tasked with finding ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs across the district government. The contract, which is coming to an end, has been described by the union as “wasted expenses” that have not achieved much. Union leaders argued that the county could have achieved better results internally – and that it could have afforded to pay more to employees. The two-year contract between the county and the Laborers` International Union of North America Local 777 has yet to be ratified by union members to be approved and it is unclear when that will happen.
“I believe this agreement is getting there,” he wrote. At a May 8 hearing, lawyer Ed Zappia, the county`s “fact-finder,” said the union`s three-year contract was aimed at “reducing the rate of (net) annual wage increases by a considerable amount of savings” for the county. The lawyer pointed out that the county made concessions during the 40 bargaining meetings that took place between September 2016 and July 2017. According to LIUNA`s Facebook message, the preliminary agreement involves pay increases of 4 percent. Supervisory authorities, which granted increases to unions in 2012 in exchange for pension concessions, insist that the county cannot afford to give the level of wage increases it has granted in the past. Unions questioned the county`s figures and criticized county negotiators for trying to roll back past union profits. At the time, 503 members voted in favor of an interim contract with the county this weekend. Communications Director Ben Morris said union members voted “with overwhelming support” for ratification of the treaty. Local 503 has about 500 members.
Tony Butka, who was tasked with negotiating, recommended in May that the county grant flat-rate wage increases of 2 percent retroactively, then a further automatic increase of 2 percent in the current fiscal year, as well as a 1 percent bonus for district nurses who, according to his voice, are difficult to recruit and use the county as a launching pad for professional promotion elsewhere. Morris says health care and wage increases for county workers were key to ratifying the contract this week.