Tonight, the Joint Bargaining Committee of AFSCME D.C. 48 voted to recommend the new contract offer to the membership for ratification. There are some corrections that need to be addressed in what we believe we will be getting with this offer.
The offers for 2007-2009 and 2010-2011 are separate contracts, however they are both being ratified in a single vote. Acceptance of this offer effectively will close further negotiations for the 2010-2011 contract. The primary goal of D.C. 48 and the Joint Bargaining Team has been job preservation.
The offer and voting information was mailed out from D.C. 48 today and should arrive in your mail boxes by as early as tomorrow. The offer you are receiving in the mail is the offer that was posted here on September 6th, 2009.
Accepting the offer gives these three most important guarantees.
1. No layoffs
2. Health care premiums at $20 single, $40 family starting the first full month after contract execution
3. No more than 4 furlough days
Rejection of this newest contract offer will not result in a last ditch effort to strike a new deal and bring it to the members for a new vote, the arbitrators decision will be revealed. Going this route we will get a worse contract offer. Some of this information has been updated from the previous postings and is more complete or corrected.
1. Layoffs, 150 jobs lost in 2010, likely the same number in 2011
2. Paying 7.5% of health care premiums in 2010, 15% of premiums in 2011, costs in 2010 will increase 20% over the 2009 rates, about $1870 family for the United Health Care HMO, also we owe back premiums to 1/1/2009 at $20 single / $40 family.
3. The maximum allowed number of furlough days, the City believes it can furlough for 20 days. This is actually closer to an 8% pay cut.
Financial comparison for the 2010-2011 contracts show that by accepting the City’s offer for 2007-2009 / 2010-2011 at the end of 2011 D.C. 48 members who continue to take the HMO health care plan will do far better than by rejecting the offer and going with the arbitrators decision.
| $30,000 Employee | Accept Offer | Reject Offer |
| Health Care | $20 Single / $40 Family per month | Back Premiums $200 Single/ $400 Family for 2009 $140 Family per month in 2010 $280 per month in 2011 |
| Furloughs | 4 days in 2010 and 4 days in 2011 equivalent to a 1.5% pay loss |
20 days in 2010 and 20 days in 2011 equivalent to a 7.7% pay loss |
| Total Lost (Health plus Furlough) | $1380 Single / $1860 Family | $6500 Single / $9940 Family |
| $40,000 Employee | Accept Offer | Reject Offer |
| Health Care | $20 Single / $40 Family per month | Back Premiums $200 Single/ $400 Family for 2009 $140 Family per month in 2010 $280 per month in 2011 |
| Furloughs | 4 days in 2010 and 4 days in 2011 equivalent to a 1.5% pay loss |
20 days in 2010 and 20 days in 2011 equivalent to a 7.7% pay loss |
| Total Lost (Health plus Furlough) | $1680 Single / $2160 Family | $8000 Single / $11440 Family |
| $50,000 Employee | Accept Offer | Reject Offer |
| Health Care | $20 Single / $40 Family per month | Back Premiums $200 Single/ $400 Family for 2009 $140 Family per month in 2010 $280 per month in 2011 |
| Furloughs | 4 days in 2010 and 4 days in 2011 equivalent to a 1.5% pay loss |
20 days in 2010 and 20 days in 2011 equivalent to a 7.7% pay loss |
| Total Lost (Health plus Furlough) | $1980 Single / $2460 Family | $9500 Single / $12940 Family |
Accepting the City offer an employee earning $50000 annually will receive approximately $3700 in back pay after taxes. Assuming that this employee is enrolled in the United Health Care HMO family plan they are coming out AHEAD about $1250 by the end of 2011.
For an employee earning $50000 annually rejecting the City offer and asking for binding arbitration will guarantee at least a 7.5% and possibly as much as a 9.25% pay increase. After taxes that employee would be expecting approximately $5000 in back pay for the City offer and $6200 for the Union offer. Assuming the Union offer prevails in arbitration and that this employee is enrolled in the United Health Care HMO family plan they are losing twice their back payment for taking the deal, coming out BEHIND about $6700 by the end of 2011.
There will be three public information sessions next week. You are encouraged to attend these meetings to get more information before ratification of the contract.
| Monday, September 14, 2009 Wilson Park Senior Center 2601 W. Howard Ave., Milwaukee 5:00 PM |
| Tuesday, September 15, 2009 District Council 48 3427 W. St. Paul Ave., Milwaukee 10:00 AM |
| Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Washington Park Senior Center 4420 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee 5:00PM |
Our members will vote on contract ratification at their respective water treatment plants. The ballot boxes will be staffed an open at the following locations.
| Linnwood Purification Plant 3000 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive Thursday, September 17, 2009 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM |
Howard Ave. Purification Plant 3929 S. 6th St. Thursday, September 17, 2009 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM |
