Health insurance and pay issues have caused a union representing 350 Largo workers to declare an impasse in negotiations.
By SHANNON TAN
Published October 12, 2004
LARGO - The city workers' union has rejected a three-year job contract offer from the city and declared an impasse.
The deal offered by the city would have given 350 city employees - members of the Communications Workers of America Local 3179 - a 3 percent raise in each of the next three years. The city, which currently pays 100 percent of health insurance for single-person coverage, wants those employees to pay 5 percent of the cost, or $214 a year.
"The cost of health insurance continues to escalate, and we think it's fair that everyone pays a portion of the cost of health insurance," said Assistant City Manager Henry Schubert.
The union wants a 5 percent raise for each of the next three years, and does not want employees to have to pay anything toward single-person health insurance coverage, said Stephen Sarnoff, president of the Communication Workers of America Local 3179.
"We don't feel that anything we're asking for is out of whack," Sarnoff said.
The union represents clerical employees, telecommunicators in the Police Department, and workers in the environmental services, recreation, parks and arts, and public works departments. The median wage of a full-time employee in these categories is $27,600.
The city had been negotiating with the union since June. Under the last contract, CWA workers received a 21 percent increase over three years.
Sarnoff said he will appear before the City Commission next week asking them to reconsider their position.
"We're very supportive of this city," Sarnoff said. "It's a shock to us they want to treat us this way."
The two sides are also at odds because the city wants to change a provision in the three-year contract to clarify when the city must represent an employee in a civil suit.
Currently, the city will retain an attorney for an employee "sued for any actions which occurred within the scope of his employment."
The proposed revision means the city will not defend an employee if "it is proven or alleged that such employee acted in bad faith or with malicious purpose or in a manner exhibiting wanton and wilful disregard of human rights, safety, or property."
"Why should somebody be denied a right because they're accused of something?" Sarnoff said. "Of course we can't approve that."
In May, an arbitrator ruled that the city must provide an attorney for a code enforcement officer driving a city-owned vehicle when she rear-ended another car. The city had declined to do so, saying Joyce Homer was driving under the influence of alcohol. A postcrash test estimated that she had a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.04 percent at the time of the accident; the state's threshold for impairment is 0.08 percent.
Union representatives plan to meet with their attorneys this week before submitting a letter to the city formally declaring an impasse.
After an impasse is formally declared, both sides will enter mediation or a special master will hear both sides and submit a nonbinding recommendation. If the recommendation is rejected, the City Commission will impose contract terms after a public hearing.
If the union rejects the City Commission's decision, the imposed contract is in effect for only one year.
The process is expected to take three to five months.
