All things related to Contract Negotiations
The vote to ratify all three AFSCME contracts passed overwhelmingly and is headed to the City Commission for a vote tomorrow (Wednesday, 4/6) @ 1PM at City Hall. Thanks to all who’ve worked hard during this process and to everyone who came out for the vote today.
Come by the Commission Chambers tomorrow @ 1PM in your AFSCME green as a show of solidarity if you can and thanks again to our members for your continued support.
The contract negotiations have finally been completed. A ratification vote will be held on next Tuesday April 5th 2016 from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM at the Union Hall – 2734 Hollywood Boulevard (parking in the rear). This is a secret ballot vote and the ballots will be counted immediately after the closing of the vote. All employees should receive their letter explaining their classification and wage changes based on the Evergreen implementation by this coming Friday April 1st 2016. Below is the bargained contract language changes; please review them prior to casting your vote on April 5th 2016:
Below are the new job classifications and pay grades:
A brief summary of the changes can be found here:
Local 2432 Brothers and Sisters,
Below are highlights from the new contract which we’ll be bringing to you for a ratification vote soon:
EVERGREEN STUDY
The Evergreen Study will be implemented for all three bargaining units which merges pay grades (no more General/Enterprise/Tier A/Tier B). Employees have started receiving letters explaining their individual classification change and wage info. All employees should receive their letter within the next week.
WAGES:
October 2015 :
October 2016:
October 2017:
PENSION:
30 years and out for those covered under the new normal retirement date calculation. An employee would have had to work until age 60 regardless of when hired (example: 20 year old currently has to work 40 years to retire)
HEALTH INSURANCE:
No employee premium increase, FSA card was increased (ratified December 2015)
No health insurance coverage in retirement for employees hired after ratification
We are working towards a ratification date of April 5, 2016. The proposed contracts will be posted on the website very soon for members to review.
NEGOTIATION UPDATE:
We have reached a tentative 3-year agreement with the City after many months of negotiations. Highlights from the proposed changes are below. Stay tuned for more info.
Wage increases for all bargaining agreements:
A maximum of 4% in FY16 and FY17 and 1% in FY18. In FY16 and FY17, 2.5% is COLA and 1.5% is tied to merit. FY18 is 1% COLA only, no merit.
If you are over the wage scale for your position…which is calculated on base pay (minus all longevity and any certification pay), the COLA portion will be paid as a lump sum. All wage increases will be paid on Oct 1st from now on. No more waiting until your annual review.
Also, the implementation of pay ranges and classifications based on the Evergreen Study (with additional negotiated modifications). More info will be coming out soon.
Insurance:
No change in employee contribution. Any employee hired after ratification of this agreement will not have their premiums paid by the City in retirement.
Union and City agrees to meet to discuss alternative health care plans during the duration of the agreement.
Pension:
Change the normal retirement date from age 60 with 30 years of service to 30 years of service regardless of age.
PENSION BOARD ELECTION:
Early voting for the Pension Board is in progress, and word is that the turnout has been low. It is important that AFSCME covered employees vote to ensure that the Board includes voices from the rank and file who will stand up for our negotiated retirement benefits. There is currently only 1 employee on the Pension Board that is covered by AFSCME (non-management). Please make sure to show up and make your voice heard.
The FSA increase M.O.U. was passed by all three bargaining units. Thanks to all who came out to vote and ratify this benefit increase.
Have a happy and safe holiday and stay tuned for pictures from the holiday party!
The Union and City have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding to increase the City’s Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contribution to the following:
$300.00 – Employee only
$400.00 – Employee +1
$700.00 – Employee + 2 or more
Changes to the FSA accounts must be made by the end of each calendar year or else cannot be changed per IRS rules. The M.O.U allows the increase to take effect in January 2016 pending a ratification vote by the membership and approval by the City Commission. This vote is only for the increased FSA benefit. Full contract negotiations are ongoing.
The M.O.U. requires an in person Ballot Vote from AFSCME covered employees to approve. Voting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 22nd from 7:00 am through 7:00 pm (updated times from previous notice) with ballot counting to begin immediately afterwards. Voting will take place at the Union Hall located at 2734 Hollywood Boulevard – parking located in the rear.
The M.O.U. language can be found at the links below.
If you have questions please email afscmelocal2432@local2432.com.
R-2015 Memorandum of Understanding (GE) AFSCME TASC Cards – General
R-2015 Memorandum of Understanding (PRO) AFSCME TASC Cards – Professional
R-2015 Memorandum of Understanding (SUP) AFSCME TASC Cards (1) – Supervisory
Dear Brothers and Sisters of AFSCME Local 2432
I am writing to provide you an update as to the status of our Union’s contract negotiations with the City. In the Professional and Supervisory groups, our bargaining teams have met with the City’s management team only 3 times (real negotiations) over the course of the last two months. The latest negotiations session was held last Thursday, October 8th 2015. We were told prior to the meeting to be prepared to stay until we have an agreement, and were hopeful that we might make real progress toward a new agreement.
With that understanding, our bargaining teams presented all of our counter proposals, including a new proposal regarding our pension plan. In case you had not heard, the Police just negotiated a modified planned retirement with only a 0.5% employee contribution down from 8%, and changed the normal retirement date to 25 years of service regardless of age). We requested the same modified planned retirement with a 30 years of service normal retirement date provision, regardless of age. This was only the 4th item out of approximately 57 items that were on the table, but the meeting immediately turned negative from management’s side. We were berated and accused of playing games. We all took this as very condescending and disrespectful not only to our bargaining team, but to our membership as a whole.
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Evergreen has completed the draft compensation study for the General Bargaining Unit. The Union is scheduled to meet with the City on Thursday, September 3rd @ 2 PM in City Hall room 215 for Evergreen to present their findings. Click here to read the draft report ->> Draft Report – Compensation Study for the City of Hollywood FL (AFSCME).
Professional and Supervisory Bargaining Units negotiation session is scheduled for this Tuesday, September 1st @ 2 PM in City hall room 215.
The City held a Joint City/CRA workshop in which the CRA has agreed to work with the City to give back money to the City’s General Fund. Hats off to Commissioner Callari for pointing out that it is very disappointing that this offer wasn’t made during “Financial Urgency” (FU). The CRA’s response was basically – nobody asked (seriously).
Any General Bargaining Unit members who are due a FY 2015 merit increase (not topped out), but either has a past due performance review, or has received a satisfactory review but has not received their PA for the increase, please contact HR if you have not already. President Chris Cassidy has brought this issue to the attention of Tammie Hechler, HR Director, who has sent the message to the Departments to process the PA’s per the contract.
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During the latest contract negotiations, Local 2432 and the City negotiated many new benefits for part-time employees. One of those benefits entailed the City contributing $1,000 on behalf of each eligible part-time employee to a 457 Plan. Unfortunately, given the length of negotiations, some eligible employees, whose anniversaries fell between October 1, 2013 and the ratification date of the current contract (plus the 60 day waiting period), will miss out on receiving that $1,000 contribution until their next anniversary date.
This M.O.U. corrects that unintended result by changing the effective date for those regularly scheduled part-time employees (as defined in Section 2 and Section 3 of Article 52) employed as a regularly scheduled part-time employee on the ratification date of this M.O.U., so that the City shall make the new $1,000 contribution to the 457 Deferred-Comp Plan of those regularly scheduled part-time employees who had an anniversary date that occurred on or after October 1, 2013, through May 4, 2014, within thirty (30) days of the ratification date of this M.O.U. which you are voting on.
This change requires a ratification vote from the members.
Voting begins Tuesday, July 8, at 7:30 am and goes until 5:30 pm at the Union Hall. This a secret ballot vote and the ballots will be counted immediately after the closing of the vote.
Our new contracts have been signed and stamped and sealed and made all official like. We’ll be adding digital copies to the site soon and hard copy books will be available shortly after that.
In the mean time, if you have any questions just ask your Steward.