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National City employees call for contract transparency, pay for part-time staff during council public comment
Summary
Union and city employees urged the City of National City Council to secure stronger contracts, accurate cost analyses and better pay for part-time staff during public comment before a closed-session labor negotiation Tuesday evening.
At a special closed-session meeting of the City of National City Council, union representatives and city employees urged the council to secure transparent, timely cost analyses and stronger contracts to retain staff and support part-time workers.
Carla Pilategui, who identified herself as president of the SEIU chapter for National City employees, told the council she has "faith that the city is still trying to negotiate good contract for our well deserved members" and asked the council to ensure an "accurate cost analysis" as the basis for good-faith negotiations.
Eddie Sanchez, vice president of SEIU Local 221, provided a timeline of the union's proposals and said the city had not supplied a full cost breakdown the union requested. "SEIU submitted our first set of proposals on March 24, a second set of proposals on April 2, and a final set of proposals on April 7," Sanchez said. He said SEIU formally requested a complete cost analysis of all 21 proposals on April 23 and that city negotiators had not provided an accurate, updated salary survey. "It's not just about the money, it's about respect," Sanchez added.
Speakers representing the National City Public Library and the Municipal Employee Association repeated requests for clearer cost work and better pay for part-time staff. Carl Adkins, speaking for the library, said the city cost analysis "left out a big chunk" of library classifications and asked for revisions. Maria Marmolejo, a library employee of 38 years, asked the council to "support us, our part timers," saying without part-time staff library services would suffer. Recreation staff including Eliana Delgado, Sayeda Jurado and Juanita Castaneda urged the council to consider bilingual pay and other adjustments to keep longtime employees and serve a diverse community.
Speakers repeatedly emphasized that part-time staff perform essential services and that errors in the city's salary comparisons and cost reports have hampered bargaining. Several commenters asked the council to question the city's bargaining representatives and insist on transparent cost data before the council finalizes positions in closed negotiations.
Public comment concluded before the meeting moved into closed session on labor negotiations.
