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City labor counsel summarizes tentative AFSCME agreement: raises, Juneteenth holiday and signing bonus
Summary
City labor counsel reported a tentative three‑year agreement with AFSCME Local 521 covering about 170 employees that would provide a 4% retroactive raise for 2026, 3% increases in 2027 and 2028, a one‑time $1,000 signing bonus, addition of Juneteenth as a holiday, and continued Medicare supplement increases; committee moved the ratification resolution to the next agenda.
The Administration Committee reviewed Resolution 15, which would ratify the 2026–2028 basic labor agreement between the city and AFSCME Local 521, covering roughly 170 employees.
Jack Dean, city labor counsel, summarized the substantive terms: a three‑year deal with wages set at 4% for 2026 (retroactive to Jan. 1), then 3% in both 2027 and 2028; a one‑time $1,000 signing bonus for each bargaining‑unit member; the formal addition of Juneteenth as a paid city holiday; and continuation of an annual Medicare supplement increase (about $10/year) for retirees. "The wages that we offered for the three‑year deal were for year 1 2026 4%. We agreed for this offer that that 4% will be retroactive to January 1st," Dean said.
Members asked whether the increases were fiscally sustainable; Dean said the city's business office ran the numbers and cleared the proposal for the three‑year horizon. Council members raised operational questions about whether third‑party programs (for example, a re‑entry employment program) could be constrained by union work exclusivity; Dean said those operational conflicts are best resolved through the mayor and business office coordinating with the union.
The committee moved Resolution 15 (the ratification) to the next legislative agenda for a formal vote.
