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Syracuse City staff: $4 raise for plumbers, electricians will cost about $247,000 this year
Summary
During a Syracuse City Council study session, city staff said a $4 hourly wage increase for plumbers, steamfitters and electricians will be retroactive to Jan. 1 and add roughly $247,000 to this year—s budget; the contract runs about $4 -$4.5 million annually and will be renegotiated before year-end.
At a Syracuse City Council study session, Councilor Penaagua asked whether a proposed $4 hourly raise for plumbers, steamfitters and electricians would be retroactive. City staff member Kory said the contract expired at the end of 2024 and that the city would make retroactive payments to Jan. 1.
Kory told the council, "So there will be retroactive payments because the contract expired, at the end of 20 24, so this goes through this calendar year and then we'll be sitting down with them for negotiations before the end of this calendar year, so hopefully we can get an agreement so there won't be any retroactive payments with the next contract." He added, "For this year, the payments will go back to January 1."
Kory estimated the additional cost to the city's budget from the wage increase at about $247,000, "that's all in with FICA and and all the other." He said the raise represents a $4 increase for plumbers, steamfitters and electricians under the current contract and that the overall collective-bargaining contract costs the city about $4 million to $4.5 million a year.
Councilors asked for more detail on hourly base wages. Kory said he would provide a breakdown after the meeting and confirmed the contract coverage includes temporary staff as well as full-time employees. He said the city plans to begin negotiations with the union before the end of the calendar year.
No formal vote or adoption was recorded on the raise during the study session. Other agenda items mentioned during the session were held or withdrawn and the council moved to adjourn into an executive session at the end of the meeting.
The council did not provide further detail in the session about which union represents the workers by formal name, about exact hourly base rates for each trade, or about which department will absorb the increased cost; those items were described as to be provided later by staff.
