First Counter-Proposal to LA City Professionals Breaks Bargaining ‘Logjam’

In bargaining with the city on August 18, the CAO’s representative, Errol Griffin, provided his first formal counterproposal to the package that we first proposed in December.

The city’s proposal was not comprehensive but represented a step forward for negotiations.

“The logjam has broken,” said bargaining team member Terry Keating of the Harbor Department. “The city has finally responded with their first counter to the proposals we have consistently been passing across the table for 30 weeks.”

The city also has proposed to meet more regularly. We are developing a bargaining schedule for meetings starting next week.

EAA Members “EAA acknowledges that Management has set a target contribution rate of 10% of the actual healthConcerned about ‘Permanent’ Step Backward

Many EAA members are asking tough questions about their current contract proposal pushed by union leaders. They are calling it a “permanent fix to a temporary problem.”

On Health Care: Instead of negotiating health benefits with other city unions as part of the Joint Labor Management Benefits Committee, the EAA MOU would undercut efforts to control costs. It states:

“If there are any discrepancies between the benefits described herein and the Flex Program approved by the Joint Labor-Management Benefits Committee, this MOU will take precedence.”

What could that mean? Higher costs for EAA members with no cap on spending. According to the MOU:

care premium cost, and a 50/50 sharing of future healthcare premium cost increases.”

EAA’s contract would weaken joint negotiations that have helped to keep costs down for the city and for workers.

On Retirement: The contract states that “EAA has no categorical opposition to an increase in active employee contribution rates.” That’s a major concession without a clear goal.

Employees represented by EAA are concerned that when this recession ends and city revenues increase, they will be stuck with a permanent change while other employees move forward.

That’s why what happens in EAA matters to all of us, not just at SEIU but for every city worker.