Yeah, more shameless political pandering in an election year. Eyeroll. It’s to deal with the Walker Budget Repair Bill and quickly pass our city contracts with employees. Mostly a political stunt, I think since most contracts are passed already. Sudden concern for our public employees and unions after privatizing the Overture, failing to require card check neutrality or allowing people to examine the PLA at the Edgewater and proposing to get rid of the parking attendants and replace them with machines in our parking ramps is a little hard to swallow. And, it seems like a bit of an afterthought, unlike the county. Thanks to Scott McDonell and others, the county passed their contracts for 4 years before this whole mess started. Why isn’t the city doing the same? Why is the city only doing it through next year?
From: Mayor
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 1:56 PM
To: ALL ALDERS; Dept Division Heads
Cc: MY GROUP
Subject: ActionsDear Colleagues,
As you know, Governor Walker has introduced legislation that fundamentally changes the relationship between management, public employee unions and all municipal employees. I have been outspoken personally in my opposition to this legislation and we will take the following actions:
* I’ve instructed our lobbyist to work in opposition to the bill as his top priority. We are also calling for the bill to be slowed down so that thoughtful consideration can be given to this massive change in municipal labor relations. Nonetheless, it’s our understanding that the Governor is asking that the bill be passed in time for him to sign it at the end of this week.
* Council Leadership and I will meet this afternoon to bring everyone up to speed on what we know.
* We have scheduled a special Department & Division heads meeting for 10:00A on Tuesday, Feb 15, in CCB 354. All Council members are invited to attend. An emergency notice of a potential quorum of the Council will be issued, though this is strictly an informational meeting and no Council actions can be taken.
* By tomorrow, if not sooner, we will issue an email to all city employees regarding what we know about the bill and its implications. It is a large and complicated bill that the City Attorney and HR Director are still digesting.
* I have asked Council Leadership to poll members about their availability for an emergency Council meeting on Thursday evening. The purpose of the meeting would be to pass contracts and contract extensions so that all of our unions would have settled contracts through 2012.
The collective bargaining system has served our taxpayers, customers and employees well for four decades. There is no reason to change it radically and certainly no reason to do so in the space of a week.
Sincerely,
Dave Cieslewicz
So far, only Compton is out of town . . . but we’ll see if they can get quorum.
“Thanks to Scott McDonell and others, the county passed their contracts for 4 years before this whole mess started.” Unfortunately, this is not correct. If you read the pending budget repair bill, you’ll see that when a contract term expires, that’s it. All the wage limitations, pension and health care contributions kick in, as well as the inability to address bargaining issues other than wages. You don’t get to have another contract that is “inconsistent” with the law. And what the county actually did was negotiate TWO agreements. The first is a one-year agreement that runs from December 19, 2010-December 17, 2011. The second one has a duration of December 18, 2011-December 13, 2014. Unfortunately, that second one will never have a chance to take effect (assuming Walker gets his way on the bill), because as soon as the first one expires… poof. Who knows– maybe there will turn out to be a legal machination around the problem, but it frankly looks like the county did it “wrong” (through no fault of their own, as they didn’t know what specific action Walker was going to take). But there is not a “four-year contract” in effect for represented county employees. There’s a one-year that’s in effect now, and then there’s some worthless paper…
My understanding is that the county got legal advice that is contrary to what you suggest. And I’m guessing they might do a legal challenge to it if found otherwise. Well, I’m just guessing there will be all kinds of legal challenges if Walker succeeds.
btw Other councils are calling special sessions re: Walker. I don’t know your mayor, he may be full of dung, but he’s not alone in this type of action as seen below ~
“The Eau Claire City Council will meet tonight (Tuesday) in Special Session at 7:00 pm for consideration of a resolution rejecting Gov. Walker’s budget repair bill. The resolution, if passed, will be sent to legislators. The Council will meet in the Council Chambers in City Hall on Farwell Street.
Councilman Mark Olson, a retired firefighter, told the crowd at South Middle School gathered last night to oppose the governor’s budget repair bill that Walker’s bill “will cripple labor.”
Well… here’s what the county administration sent (in relevant part) to all employees today: “For represented employees, the required employee retirement contributions and changes to collective bargaining discussed above would apply the, “day on which the agreement expires or is terminated, extended, modified, or renewed, whichever occurs first.” The County currently has a 2011 contract in place with all of the bargaining units. Under the applicability provision, the terms of the 2011 agreements appear to be sound, and the negotiated 3% increase would occur as scheduled at the end of the year. Upon expiration of those agreements, the provisions of the Bill would apply.
“The County has also adopted successor agreements for a three-year period covering 2012 through 2014 for the units represented by AFSCME, SEIU, and the Trades. The validity of those successor agreements appears to be unclear since the 2011 agreement does expire and does renew. The Bill does not contemplate that the parties may have already negotiated successor agreements.
“In the event that the 2012-2014 agreements are valid and enforceable, those agreements include an annual option to re-open negotiations with respect to wages only. The amount by which those wages are increased would likely be subject to the consumer price index limitation applied to base wages.”
I’m no lawyer, but I can’t see how the successor agreement can be honored since the current contract does indeed expire, which would invoke the new law…
Nice eyeroll.
District parents received this by email today. I am awed by the solidarity being shown by the school district board and administration.
February 15, 2011
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We received word today that there may be excessive staff absences tomorrow and/or through the remainder of this week in protest of Governor Walker’s proposed budget cuts and changes in labor law. Our goal is to try to keep the schools open and safe during this period. In doing so, the following will occur:
Principals will develop a plan for students using the staff who are present.
The health office has provided a list of required medications, allergies, and special needs for specific students and related procedures to the principal.
If you need to communicate with the school, someone will be in the office to answer phone calls.
If you are scheduled for an IEP tomorrow (with the exception of manifestations), your principal may reschedule the meeting, so please call the office.
Buses will run as usual.
Breakfast and lunch will be served (most likely not the same menu as the calendar).
District, Pflaum and MSCR staff will be assisting in schools.
We will continue to do everything possible to ensure that school operations continue as normal as expected by our parents and community as a whole. If you have any questions, please contact your principal.
Sincerely,
Daniel A. Nerad
Superintendent