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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > August > 06 > Entry
County union asked to take concessions
UPDATE: Regarding poster “VietVet’s” comments below: The 2006-07 labor dispute between AK Steel Corp., and the International Association of Machinists Local Lodge 1943 was a lockout not a strike. What’s the difference? A lockout is called by a company, a strike is called by a union. AK Steel locked its union workers out when their contract expired.
Commissioners are asking the union representing workers in the county’s Environmental Services Department to come back to the bargaining table early and take concessions or accept a plan that calls for cutting 22.5 positions.
Commissioners Gregory Jolivette and Donald Dixon and Environmental Services Director Sue Vance confirmed the request, saying they are still awaiting a response about whether the union will open negotiations before its contract expires on Jan. 16, 2009.
“We’re asking them to come back to the table early in order to accommodate the goal of lowering rates,” Jolivette said. “We’ll do it either by internal cuts or concessions.”
Local union officials were unavailable for comment this morning, however others have said they let the rank-and-file know about early negotiations at a recent meeting.
In May, commissioners were presented with a plan to cut 22.5 positions from Environmental Services, a plan they said would save water customers about $7 per month. Read that story here.
And a story here about how they decided to delay the layoffs.
County officials have also said that negotiating a lower rate for water with the city of Hamilton could allow them to reduce staff through attrition instead of layoffs.
But when the answers to their questions failed to come in as expected, commissioners said they were forced to make a move.
“I’m positive they know we’re serious about offering our rate-payers a reduction,” Jolivette said. “How we get there, though, is up for negotiation.”
Vance said the county received “a favorable response from the union, and I think they’re willing to come back early.”
“They did agree to take a look at it, so that’s a good start,” Dixon said, adding that commissioners are expected hear back from the union later this month.
Union officials from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 3396 — which represents about 100 of the department’s 142 employees — and the AFSCME regional council in Cincinnati did not return calls seeking comment.
Question: Should union members take concessions to save 22.5 jobs?
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Comments
By 000
August 6, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
0, 0, 0 proposal = 0 union votesBy Still gets water from the tap
August 6, 2008 11:11 PM | Link to this
A virtual monopoly interested in keeping rates competitive, now that’s refreshing. Commissioners continuing to vacillate on staff reductions is not. Quit playing games, and do both - implement the cuts and get union concessions. Simple logic says that if union members are expected to give concessions for keeping these jobs, then they should still be able to do so if they’re gone – and, not all cuts are union jobs anyway. Imagine how much better the Big 3 would be doing if they quit caving into the unions years ago. So, quit falling into that trap here, and now.By Rapidfire raises, think again.
August 7, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this
Comparing a county union to the big three is ludicrous. The survey county employees rated in the mid to lower range in comparisons to other Ohio Counties. Butler county has the luxury of spreading the so-called rapid-fire salary increases over a number of years (usually 6-8) before an employee tops out. If you are going to compare apples and oranges anyway, what union in the private industry does that? At most, members of the private industry top out within 2 years. What hasn’t been addressed is what the non-union members are earning in comparison to the private industry, the ones who up until August 1st were driving around in county supplied vehicles and fueled at county pumps. Union employees an their families are facing cost increases just like the rest of the population. 3 year wage freeze so you can save a whopping $7 a month? I don’t think that’s fair, do you? You want to save $7 a month go a couple of days without your Starbuck’s Mocca-latte with a twist!By Rapid fire increases, think again.
August 7, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this
Comparing a county union to the big three is ludicrous. The survey county employees rated in the mid to lower range in comparisons to other Ohio Counties. Butler county has the luxury of spreading the so-called rapid-fire salary increases over a number of years (usually 6-8) before an employee tops out. If you are going to compare apples and oranges anyway, what union in the private industry does that? At most, members of the private industry top out within 2 years. What hasn’t been addressed is what the non-union members are earning in comparison to the private industry, the ones who up until August 1st were driving around in county supplied vehicles and fueled at county pumps. Union employees an their families are facing cost increases just like the rest of the population. 3 year wage freeze so you can save a whopping $7 a month? I don’t think that’s fair, do you? You want to save $7 a month go a couple of days without your Starbuck’s Mocca-latte with a twist!By Still gets water from the tap
August 7, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this
You’re missing the broader, contemporary point about the overall impact of unions. In their day, Unions played a valuable role in improving working conditions, hours worked, wages, etc. But, as those factors have greatly improved, Unions’ days are fast coming to end. And, they should for many reasons, most notably for the many negative burdens they place on employers, including here. At this slow pace of change, and if the county’s water system weren’t a monopoly, the Starbucks to which you suggest I frequent would most likely be using water from a competitor – which wouldn’t faze me as I don’t drink coffee. And, in regard to savings, I’d rather see that poured back into broader infrastructure improvements that ultimately makes this area the place to be versus just by the nature of its location.By VietVet
August 7, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this
Take a page from the AK Steel way of dealing with unions. Offer the union a contract-stall on negotiations- let them go on strike-bring in non- union lower wage/fewer benefit workers to replace the union people-union guys retire/train replacement workers and go about your business.In 40 working years, I’ve never been a union worker, but SOMETIMES, not always, unions get too big for their britches.Sometimes , they’re needed to stand against poor management.Pros and cons to both sides.By VietVet
August 7, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this
Take a page from the AK Steel way of dealing with unions. Offer the union a contract-stall on negotiations- let them go on strike-bring in non- union lower wage/fewer benefit workers to replace the union people-union guys retire/train replacement workers and go about your business.In 40 working years, I’ve never been a union worker, but SOMETIMES, not always, unions get too big for their britches.Sometimes , they’re needed to stand against poor management.Pros and cons to both sides.By County Watchdog
August 7, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
Our commissioners need to show GOP voters they know how to control cost by eliminating waste. Every real business in Butler has faced this reality and have made the cuts. Otherwise if spending continues to outpace revenue, the only solution is to raise taxes. The recent senior tax windfall is a perfect example of bogus county budgets and we are tired of it, so pay attention Mr. Fox, don’t even think of asking for more money for your bloated agency. And to our of other GOP candidates, you better wake up or face fresh new candidates next time around.