Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
East Bethel council discusses options for public‑works union contract negotiations
Summary
At a Feb. 10 work session, East Bethel staff outlined cost estimates for negotiating a new public‑works union contract and the council gave staff consensus direction to proceed with negotiations under council oversight.
At its Feb. 10 work session, the East Bethel City Council discussed options for negotiating a new contract for the city’s public‑works union and directed staff to proceed with negotiations and bring proposals back to the council for decisions.
City staff presented a range of outside counsel estimates and an internal cost estimate to handle negotiations. Carrie, a city staff member, relayed a staff estimate based on 24 hours plus a one‑hour contingency that would cost about $2,156. The council was told a private law firm, Eckberg Lammers, had estimated $15,000–$16,000 for 60–80 hours of work, and a third consultant, Scott Lepack, estimated roughly $5,000–$7,000.
The estimate range prompted discussion about who should conduct bargaining. Gary, a city staff presenter, described the options and asked for direction. Council members discussed the tradeoffs between hiring outside counsel and using city staff; some council members said staff should negotiate under explicit council direction so the council can accept or reject any agreed terms. The council was told the bargaining unit covers most public‑works employees (the city indicated eight members in that unit), and that changes agreed for union employees frequently carry over to nonunion staff.
Council members and staff agreed staff should proceed to schedule and begin negotiations, using the council’s guidance and returning to the council with any proposed agreements for review and ratification. No formal motion or vote was recorded at the work session; councilmembers gave verbal consensus that staff should move forward and report back.
The council also discussed practical steps staff might take before bargaining, including surveying comparable settlements in neighboring cities and relying on staff experience to estimate likely requests and timelines. Staff noted the city’s prior negotiations occurred two to three years ago and that outside counsel availability varies.
The council did not set a contract or approve specific expenditures at the work session; members required further information and asked staff to return with negotiation results and any recommended outside‑counsel engagements for formal action.
