Efforts to Negotiate with UD Township Union Falls Apart
Efforts to negotiate a new contract between Upper Dublin Township's 31 public works employees and the township have broken down.
From Upper Dublin Township:
Upper Dublin Township announced on Tuesday that efforts to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with its 31 public works employees represented by America Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) were no successful. Negotiating meetings occurred regularly since August of 2011 but a recent Union vote decline to accept the township’s tentative offer for a three-year contract.
The Township’s offer included salary increases in the range of two percent to three percent for each of those years, a continuation of the township’s comprehensive medical insurance and benefit package, while requiring for the first time ever, direct contributions from employees for medical premiums.
Township Manager, Paul Leonard, advised the Board of Commissioners that the reason for not being able to reach an agreement was simple: “This is the first time in several decades that a mutually agreeable contract could not be negotiated. It seems that the imposition of health insurance premiums contributions, even at a flat rate amounting to less than three percent actual cost, combined with several efforts to curb possible misuse of sick time, was reportedly the reason the union’s members did not vote for the agreement.”
It is important to note that the township values the work of their Public Works Department for all the township’s services including trash collection, snow and ice control, care of our parks and other properties and significant amounts of highway and storm sewer construction work.
Workers will continue to work under the existing contract with no increase in wages or benefits. Negotiations will begin later this year for a contract to begin January 1, 2012. No negative impacts on public services are anticipated.
Lee
7:55 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
I have to make contributions to my med insurance & have a deductible. I make it work why can't these 31 people? 31 people should not be able to tell the whole community to take a hike, they are paid with our tax dollars - which result from my labor. Everything is backward - not forward.
- democratsagainstagenda21.com
Jeanne
8:49 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
This is the first time there is a breakdown because they have always gotten what they wanted/ Not contributing to their own medical is pretty much unheard of and curbing sick time abuse? Indefensible.
S
9:09 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
Perhaps Upper Dublin should go out for bid for these services these empoyees provide and use the free market to better the service and lower the cost to the taxpayer without the burden of providing benefits that the private sector (the tax payor) does not get to enjoy for "free"....
Curmudgeon
9:44 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
To be accurate, the union (which I am not a fan of most unions) has agreed to continue working under the existing contract which means no pay increase. Of course it there is a settlement I am sure some pay increase will be retroactive. I do not believe that there is any contention involved currently. I am sure the union is aware of the Township's alternatives. While I don't like unions, it is their job to ask for the moon, and management's job is to hold the line. I hope that the Township holds the line, and hopefully this will spill over to the School Board with teachers, administraors, and staff salary and benefits. Health care and pensions are the $$ issues. We must get away from defined benefit plans and go to defined contributions (401 type palns).
UpsetUDTaxpayer
11:32 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
Curmudgeon:
Could not agree with you more about unions and collective bargaining. At the same time, this agreement is not supposed to go into effect until January. I wouldn't sign something that would impact me for 3 years when I have 7 months to see if things change and could get a better deal. Would you?
Also, regarding the School Board, I really feel that the teachers have been helping a great deal. They have agreed to join a consortium for benefits which decreased the district cost by an estimated $500,000, agreed to an additional 15 minutes per day of instructional time (45 hours a year) gave $1,000 out of their pockets, and this was this past year alone.
Lee
7:14 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
Agree Curmudgeon. Sometimes unions get guaranteed results in 401Ks in their contracts, like teachers in big school districts. No matter what happens in market they can be protected.
Gerry Lowery
12:08 pm on Saturday, May 12, 2012
How can they ask for the right to abuse sick time? That is not good faith negotiation. To me, that's entirely wrong.
UpsetUDTaxpayer
1:51 pm on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Gerry: The best thing my former employer ever did was to change the time off policy from sick/personal/family/religious & Vacation to simply: Scheduled VS. Unscheduled time off. People were given X amount of each for each year of service, etc. All days off were also given the same "cash" value / roll over rules at the end of the year.
A lot of time people use "sick time" to do things that should be scheduled time off. IE: graduations, family events, etc. due to being able to "roll over" or cash in on personal days VS. sick days. I had one employer that sick days were "Use or lose" but would pay cash for unused vacation days. This just sets the stage for "Abuse" of sick days.
I bet UD has a similar situation and that is the "abuse" they are referring to.
Hope this makes sense.
Stop overspending
9:55 pm on Saturday, May 12, 2012
Put it out for bid. I didn't get a pay raise last year due to the economy but my Upper Dublin taxes have been going up year after year. Wow, teachers have to work 15 minutes more a day. I'm salaried so i work until my job is done whether that is 40 hours a week or 70 hours a week. Governmental employees should not be unionized. Upper Dublin stop the spending of our money. Did we really need a new fire house, fire truck, township building, etc? I hope the "township employees" are also taxpaying residents of Upper Dublin.
John Ryan
9:22 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
If you are worried about tax increases and health costs. Perhaps you should look into the amount of money paid to the Department Directors and also your Township Manager and the perks they receive. I think you will be surprised. Its not always the regular blue employees that use up most of the budget.