Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Berea council approves two labor contracts; several others remain pending
Summary
Council voted to ratify a three-year collective bargaining agreement for water department employees and a firefighters contract; several police and labor contracts remained on the agenda for later action.
The Berea City Council on Feb. 3 approved two three-year collective bargaining agreements and left several others on the agenda for future action.
Council adopted ordinance 12-4, a three-year agreement between the city and water-department employees represented by Local 270 of the Utility Workers of America, AFL-CIO. The agreement includes 4%, 4% and 4% wage increases (the 4-4-4 schedule appears in the contract text). Councilmembers voted unanimously to ratify the contract on second reading.
Council also adopted ordinance 1-3, a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Berea Firefighters represented by Local 1836 of the International Association of Firefighters. The ordinance was approved on what council identified as a third-reading vote; roll call showed unanimous support.
Several other pending labor measures were discussed but were not finalized on Feb. 3. Ordinances 1-4 (Berea Police Lieutenants, P.O.P. Lodge 15), 1-5 (Berea Police Sergeants, Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association), 1-6 (Berea Police Patrol, OPBA) and 1-7 (Laborers International Union Local 860) were placed on the agenda and “let stand” while exhibits or final language were completed. City law director Barb Jones and council members said staff were finishing exhibits and clarifications; one item under review involved final wording for patrol agreements.
Council discussion included a timing note for contract back pay. Jones said retroactive wage adjustments would be applied to the first full pay period starting in June, with contract pay adjustments applied retroactively to the beginning of the year (a council exchange recorded that back pay would go to the first full pay period in June and that some contracts would reference January 6 as the retroactive start date).
No contract-specific funding breakdowns beyond the stated percentage increases were presented in council chambers; council members and staff said the contracts followed previously discussed city budget plans. Council did not take final action on the police and laborer agreements during the Feb. 3 meeting.
