IBEW Contract

The IBEW's three year contract from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2012 is on the Agenda at tomorrow's City Commission meeting.

Union contracts have always benefited the Unions, never the City that actually pays for the salaries and perks. We FINALLY have a city manager watching out for the City when it comes to the escalating costs of Union benefits. After reading over the contract, some of the reasons that are unfavorable to the City and why I agree with our City Manager, who is against the contract, are as follows:

1. It contains wage increases that the City is not in the position to grant for the three years
2. Longevity bonus payments that increase people's base wages each year instead of a single bonus payment like the City imposed on the PEU
3. It obligates the city to pay overtime after 8 hours instead of after 40 hours
4. It continues to pay people for safety and birthdays ... which is not acceptable
5. It continues to restrict management right to schedule and move people
6. The contract says that the most important element in lay-offs is seniority instead of job skills and knowledge.
7. Probationary period is too long.
8. Medical is very generous.
9. Every employee gets $25,000 of life insurance.
10. No employee is required to work in inclement weather, the very time we need them to work.
11. Trying to get a drug addict off your employee roster is almost impossible.

City Hall has said, "Lake Worth is no longer the bottomless hole for funding excessive pay and benefits. We are not in the position to pay excessive wages anymore" ... This is not the time of Romano.

City Manager Susan Stanton says, "Because the terms and conditions incorporated by this proposed agreement exceeds the City Commission’s established financial parameters, I recommend that the City Commission formally reject the proposed contract and declare an impasse to the negotiation process."