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JEA workers tell council stalled contract negotiations are a public-safety issue
Summary
A string of public commenters who work on Jacksonville's water and wastewater systems urged the City Council to treat stalled contract talks with JEA (JA) workers as a public-safety concern after crews worked long shifts to repair thousands of burst pipes during a recent freeze.
Multiple JEA (JA) water and wastewater employees used the council’s public-comment period on March 24 to press council members to address stalled contract negotiations and wage disparities.
Ronnie Burrus, representing water and wastewater crews, said members worked 16-hour shifts to repair roughly 3,400 burst lines after a freeze and that contract talks have been stalled for nearly a year. He said employees had proposed a modest raise and were willing to accept a 3.5% offer but remained at an impasse and had filed for impasse and the special magistrate process.
Nick Smith, who operates water and wastewater systems at JEA, emphasized the technical certifications and round-the-clock public-health responsibilities of utility workers and asked the council to treat the contract as a public-safety issue. “Experienced utility workers who feel undervalued make decisions that cost this city over time,” he said.
Amanda Breen and Eric Stadola, both JEA employees, reiterated that internal compensation data document wage declines relative to comparable utility positions and described a bargaining stalemate despite presenting a modest, structured proposal. Breen said workers had engaged in serious bargaining every time they were asked to do so.
Speakers asked council to press JEA management to accelerate negotiations or intervene where appropriate, and several asked for public acknowledgement that the workforce performed essential, emergency work during the freeze.
What council did: The comments were filed at the public-comment period; councilmembers acknowledged the testimony but did not take an immediate, specific action on contracts that evening. Members noted the matter’s seriousness and the need to balance ratepayer responsibilities, utility governance, and worker compensation.
Next steps: Workers and union representatives said they may pursue negotiation remedies including a special magistrate process. Council members who heard the testimony signaled they would follow up with utility oversight committees and staff.
