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SEIU members press Boca Raton council for parity on prior one‑time payments; city manager agrees to meet
Summary
Union representatives urged the City Council to negotiate a one‑time payment for SEIU‑represented blue‑collar workers who did not receive a bonus; City Manager Brown said he would meet with union representatives and provide a written response but emphasized compensation matters belong in collective bargaining.
Representatives of SEIU Florida Public Service asked the Boca Raton City Council on Nov. 19 to address what they called an inequity when some city employees received a one‑time bonus while unionized blue‑collar workers did not.
"We want an opportunity to sit down and have a good, faithful discussion," SEIU political coordinator Chuck Ridley told the council. Erwin Cineas, a union representative, said the workers who maintain city infrastructure and services feel undervalued and requested the city reopen discussions on a one‑time payment.
City Manager Peter Brown acknowledged receipt of the union’s correspondence and said the city would provide a written response. Brown stressed that wages for bargaining‑unit employees are governed by the collective bargaining process and said bargaining for a new three‑year agreement will begin next spring; nonetheless he said he was "happy to meet" to hear concerns now.
Several council members urged staff engagement and faster action to repair trust with union members while recognizing legal and procedural constraints of collective bargaining. Council member comments ranged from urging immediate staff contact with the union to describing bargaining as the appropriate forum for changing wages and lump‑sum payments.
Brown said the bargaining process and timing are the formal mechanism for wages but that he would meet with union representatives to hear their concerns and that the city will address identified issues in upcoming negotiations and a planned compensation study. The council did not take a formal vote on the request; staff will respond in writing and meet with union representatives as requested.
The exchange underlined tensions about equity and employee recognition; the council and manager emphasized the need to respect collective bargaining procedures while acknowledging the morale concerns raised by workers who appeared at the dais.
