CCMIN071988 - Laserfiche WebLink

reached on medical, dental and life insurance, safety shoes, and some individual position salary adjustment. He stated that agreement has not been reached concerning language in the Memorandum of Understanding about child care task force, Martin Luther King holiday, cotton uniforms for ~ wear, and police clerk training pay. He elaborated on each of these issues. Mr. Lynn advised that a state mediator b~-~ been called, who agrees that the above unsettled issues should be approved. He stated that since no agreement has been reached with the City' s negotiator the employees are turning to the Council for help to settle this matter. He advised that memorandums of understanding with the Fire Union as well as the Police Union were settled in much less time; PCEA felt they should receive the same treatment. Mayor Mercer stated that when City employees had to cume to Council last year for assistance he made a oa~.~dtment that they would not have to come again; he h~-~ been out of town for the last ten days and was unable to be reached for his help. He met this date with Mr. Lynn and Earyn Hilton, PCEA President. He stated this matter cannot be discussed because it is not a scheduled item on the agenda, however, by a 4/5 vote, Council could vote to place it on the agenda as an emergency item, and he is prepared to do that. He stated he heard PCEA's side of the story and the City's labor negotiator has presented another side; Mr. Lynn did a fine job of presenting the employees side and CounciLmembers have now heard that side of it. He stated one issue is still confusing, and it is not yet resolved; it was his understandi~ they had asked for a state mediation, it is the City's labor negotiator's opinion that there is another meeting set up on July 28th, Mr. Lyr~n says he doesn't think the meeting has been set up and neither does Karen Hilton. The mediator is at the convention in Atlanta and no one ba-~ been able to reach her. Mayor Mercer stated he is prepared to ask the City Council to have an emergency Executive Session following the City Council meeting to discuss this matter and not w~it for a mediation session on July 28th, if there is one scheduled. Councilmember Brandes stated he is confused by this issue; first of all it has been his long standing opinion that there should not have to be negotiation teams of representatives for the City employees or from City Council - we should be able to sit down and work these things out. We have never had the opportunity or chance to do that. It sounds like now the rules are going to be changed. He stated that no one fi'CA~, the PCEA ba~ contacted him in any way and everything that he has heard until this very moment come through the City's negotiator in Executive Session. His knowledge is limited to these sessions plus what he has heard here this evening. He felt strongly that the City Council, in the years that he has been on Council, have made a superb effort to try and take care of City employees and he values them; because the employees have done a good job for the City. In discussion of the issues, the only issue he is aware of is concerning the request for a the Martin Luther King holiday. The Martin Luther King holiday was the major issue in the negotiations that caused the hangup. His viewpoint is that a lot of people do not have Martin Luther King day off as a paid holiday - Sears does not and they allow any employee who wants to take one of their personal holidays to have Martin Luther King day off. It is his understanding one of the City' s offer was that any City employee who felt they wanted to have Martin Luther King day as a holiday they should be allowed to have that as one one of their floating holidays. The schools close on Martin Luther King birthday but it is counted as one of their holidays or school is extended one - 5 - 7-19-88