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Union speakers urge council to retain deputy city clerk as a unionized civil‑service job; ordinance laid over
Summary
At a public hearing on reclassifying the deputy city clerk as an appointed (unclassified) role, multiple AFSCME speakers said the change would remove union jobs and urged the council to preserve collective bargaining; the council closed the hearing and laid the item over to Aug. 12 for final adoption.
Union representatives and current city employees told the council the deputy city clerk role should remain in the civil‑service classification and under collective bargaining rather than be converted to an appointed position.
Chelsea Berry, treasurer of AFSCME Local 2508, said the ordinance would be “harmful and disrespectful to union employees” and urged council members to preserve representation: “AFSCME local 2508 Saint Paul clerical strongly urges you to reject making the deputy city clerk an appointed position.” Kristen Koziol, a board member of AFSCME Local 2508 and a city employee, told the council the change would remove one of 11 union positions in the council office and called the proposal “a textbook example of union busting.”
The ordinance (administrative ordinance 26‑27) would place the classification titled deputy city clerk in the unclassified service pursuant to section 12.03 0.2 h of the City of Saint Paul Charter; the legislative hearing record included a written submission from AFSCME and PEA. Council closed the public hearing and laid final adoption over until Aug. 12 to allow further review and discussion.
