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Union official urges council to revisit parity ordinance that affects bargaining
Summary
Amy Bash, chief steward for ASME Local 10-2, told council that city ordinance 244.25's parity provision limits bargaining by requiring nonunion 'parity' employees be given the same pay increases as union members; she asked council to consider removing the automatic parity link to allow merit- or department-based raises.
Amy Bash, chief steward of ASME Local 10-2, said the union has about 140 members and that ordinance 244.25 (the city's parity provision) requires nonunion parity employees to receive the same pay increases and benefits as union members, which she said reduces bargaining flexibility.
"Our only request is that when we sit down to discuss a contract that reflects the hard work and dedication that we exhibit that we do not go into negotiations with an automatic ceiling on our wages due to this particular ordinance," Bash said. She told council parity currently encompasses about 95 employees, including roughly 35 higher-wage employees who do not pay union dues but receive negotiated benefits.
Later in the meeting Councilor Jordan moved to place discussion of parity positions into the Human Resources Committee to ensure members and administration have a shared understanding of how parity works. A staff member noted the original ordinance had allowed incentive amounts up to $20,000 in at least one instance; councilors sought additional HR clarification before acting further.
