Union Demands Exposed: More Money/Power

Follow me on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/DiCiccioSal Follow me on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/PhxDistrict6 Union Demands Exposed: More Money/Power  What you are about to read will create a significant stir at city hall, and I need you to pass this information to others.   Phoenix is about to enter another round of union negotiations, and I am insisting the public see all the demands and be involved in the discussions.    You will be told that these negotiations should be done behind closed doors, away from your eyes.  But they forgot an important point: You are the boss, and it is you who needs to approve the direction and final plan.  It was those backroom negotiations that got Phoenix into financial trouble, and it was that cozy relationship with the union heads that now needs to be fixed. I am your  representative. My one and only job is to protect you.  In the past six years, you have heard that Phoenix had no money. The city made significant cuts to libraries, after-school programs and senior services -- while raising taxes and fees on families and businesses.  At the same time, behind closed doors, using that "good relationship with the unions," Phoenix doled out more than $500 million in increased compensation.  Now the unions are demanding more and more from you and your family -- more money and more power. And some unions are demanding that the negotiations to spend your money continue to be kept secret.  While we still see our neighbors out of work, losing their homes and struggling to just get by, the government unions believe they are entitled to more. The private sector and private sector unions have seen cuts between 15-25% while government unions have seen an increase payout of 23%.  Today I am releasing the written demands from the unions along with a breakdown of what those demands mean to you in money and more power over your pocketbook.  Have no doubt the information below will make quite a few insiders upset because it exposes each demand by each union.  I need your input, and I need your help in what you want done in these negotiations.  I will forward all responses to management so that your voice will for the first time be heard in the negotiations.  Here are a few of the union demands we will be negotiating that total more than $100 million in more money for them:  Union demands  Unions demand continuation of pay raises.    Unions demand restoring the 3.2% cut (the cost over $100 millon).  This was a onetime cut over a two-year budget. This amounted to about 1.6% and only about .5% per year coming from salary.   Yes, a salary cut of less than 1%.  At the same time, nearly half the staff received a 4.5% raise each year.    Unions demand veto power over changing job roles, over changing shifts to save overtime and limiting other scheduling options for city workers.    Unions demand Phoenix is prevented from saving money by contracting out any services.    Unions demand that all negotiation be kept secret.  Questions  Is it sustainable for 15,000 employees to average $100,000 per year in total compensation?    Is it fair to taxpayers that a first year employee receives 40.5 days off in the first year of service -- which goes up year after year?    Should government staff be allowed to roll over sick leave and vacation days (one employee cashed out more than $144,000 last year)?    Should taxpayers continue to fund union activity, including paying city employed union leaders not to do their city jobs?  This amounted to $3.9 million last year alone.    Is it ethical for Phoenix hand out more pay raises while citizens pay for a food tax? Is it really unreasonable to ask that pay raises stop for a two-year period?  Below are the union demands.  Please make sure to pass this newsletter to all who want a voice at the table.    There will indeed be pressure to keep you from this information. I have requested a breakdown of each point and will present them to you when staff has completed the analysis.  Click here for a link to all the union demands.       My best to you and your family,  Sal DiCiccio City of Phoenix Councilman, District 6 602-262-7491 council.district.6@phoenix.gov LiUNA 777 -- Laborers’ International Union of North America  MONEY: Everything in the 3.2 percent "contribution" would be restored, in other words, a 3.2 percent raise in addition to the merit and longevity pay raises--which can amount to about a 7% overall pay raise.  POWER: No bargaining unit employees shall be laid off, demoted or suffer loss of pay or benefits as a result of contracting of unit work.  POWER: If anyone is displaced because of contracting out, the city would be required to give him or her another job represented by this union.  POWER: Meet-and-confer arbitration would have to be informal with no notes or records required to be made public.  MONEY:  Cost of living raise for each year with 2 percent minimum and 4.5 percent maximum.  POWER: Holiday overtime would be based on seniority.  MONEY: Shift differential would be increased 25 cents per hour. ($520 per year raise - times the number of employees eligible.)  AFSCME 2384 -- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  MONEY: Everything in the 3.2 percent "contribution" would be restored, in other words, a 3.2 percent raise in addition to the merit and longevity pay raises -- which can amount to about a 7% overall pay raise.  MONEY: Employees would get holiday pay on industrial leave  MONEY: 80 more hours of vacation time carryover could be accumulated in final three years (adds to pension spiking).  POWER: Old language requires city to notify union of significant changes in a worker's responsibility, except in extraordinary situations.  AFSCME 2384 wants to eliminate the "extraordinary situations" language.  MONEY: Helicopter mechanics would get provided uniforms. (How many and at what cost?)  MONEY: Demands another 750 hours to fund city employees doing union activities.  POWER: Standby time would be limited to one week a month.  POWER: Union wants veto power over using any temporary workers replacing permanent workers.  POWER; Seniority is the primary determinant of assignments, layoffs, vacations, etc. (Not only does this mean that merit doesn't matter, giving seniority rights means more expensive overtime and is a prime tool for pension spiking).  POWER: Union wants veto power over non-consecutive days in work weeks.  MONEY: Workers would get to cash in carryover vacation hours over the maximum allowed.  MONEY: Employees required to have commercial driver's license would get 50 cent/hour raise.  ($1040 raise annually per employee (rolls into OT and pensions) - times the number of employees eligible.)  POWER: No bargaining unit employees could be laid off, demoted or suffer loss of pay or benefits as a result of contracting of unit work.  POWER: If anyone is displaced because of contracting out, the city would be required to give him or her another job represented by this union.  MONEY: Union wants $5 per employee per month ($60 per year) for AFLAC non-occupational accident plan - times the number of affected employees. (So there is no competitive bid; they've picked the company for this new benefit?)  POWER: Request would cut in half the time period where disciplinary records are kept in employee's file (from 10 years to 5)  POWER MONEY: City couldn't change workers' schedule to avoid overtime, e.g. when the All-Star Game is in town.  MONEY: "When an employee is deprived out of overtime opportunities 2 times in a 12-month period, the employee shall be paid for the entire last missed overtime opportunity." This would cost more money for overtime and could make scheduling and servicing more difficult.  AFSCME 2960 -- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  MONEY: Everything in the 3.2 percent "contribution" would be restored, in other words, a 3.2 percent raise in addition to the merit and longevity pay raises--which can amount to about a 7% overall pay raise.  POWER: Seniority is the primary determinant of assignments, layoffs, vacations, etc. (Not only does this mean that merit doesn't matter, giving seniority rights means more expensive overtime and is a prime tool for pension spiking).  POWER: Union wants veto power over non-consecutive days in work weeks.  MONEY: Increase the number of union stewards from 5 to 14.  POWER: new full-time release position (paid all year for not working for city but for union); take this out of hours bank.  POWER : "The union will be allowed to use all City communications tools to disseminate information when necessary." That could include city email, Channel 11, public meetings, newsletters - everything, with no restraint on content, frequency or volume.  POWER: Employees' division files would be purged at every annual evaluation.  MONEY: If any other union gets a raise, 2960 would get the same raise.  MONEY Lower number of hours required for out-of-class pay.  MONEY: City would contribute 2% in matching deferred compensation contribution by employee, a $1,000/year raise for a $50,000 employee. (To demonstrate how these "little things" add up, if that were given to the entire city work force at the average salary (not including benefits) that would cost Phoenix an estimated $18.3 million.)  POWER: Seniority would be the primary determinant of assignments, layoffs, vacations, etc. (Not only does this mean that merit doesn't matter, giving seniority expansive first-in-line rights means more expensive overtime and is a prime tool for pension spiking).  MONEY: Employees now get 4 hours off on Christmas Eve if it falls on a work day. This unit wants the four hours paid whether Christmas Even falls on a work day or not.  PLEA – Phoenix Law Enforcement Association  MONEY Everything in the 3.2 percent "contribution" would be restored, in other words, a 3.2 percent raise in addition to the merit and longevity pay raises--which can amount to about a 7% overall pay raise.  MONEY: PLEA also will ask for more raises and benefits not included in the proposals (the amount not revealed). (The unit received 9.1 % and 8.9% in pay raises in 2007-07 and 2009-10, respectively.)  POWER: The union wants to put union bumper stickers on all marked police cars (regardless of whether those inside belong to the union or not).  The department wants to prohibit processing process anonymous complaints unless they allege state statute violations. (This severely limits citizens' ability to critique professionalism.)  POWER: Request a reduction from 10 years to 3 how long disciplinary actions can be  kept in an employee's file.  POWER: City would be prevented from doing breath, blood or urine test on a union member until an official Notice of Inquiry is drafted and delivered. (Giving more time for alcohol, et al, to dissipate).  POWER: All transfers that are subject to a grievance shall be put on hold until that is resolved. (So if someone doesn't like a transfer, he/she could file a grievance and hold it up for month, regardless of the effect on personnel planning.)  MONEY: Members will be allowed to bank 50 more hours of comp time, up to 250.  MONEY: Increase in night shift differential of $1.40 per hour. (Raise per year of $2912 for straight time only, much more including overtime. If that's a fourth of the force, that would be an estimated $2.2 million a year.)  MONEY Increase of $.75 per hour for other shift differential.   (Raise per year of $1560 for straight time only, much more including overtime. If that's a fourth of the force, that would be an estimated $1.17 million a year.)  MONEY: Restore 2% and add 2.82 percent city contribution to deferred compensation.  The 2.82 increase by itself would be about a $2100 raise each and would cost the city an estimated $6.35 million spread over 3000 employees.  POWER: If a member's work week is three 13-hour shifts, those will be consecutive.  A 7-day notice will be required before changing shifts.  POWER: Officers not on patrol also get to work four 10-hour shifts. (Regardless of departmental efficiency.)  MONEY: Increases by $46 a month the city's contribution to each employee's post employment health benefits. ($552 annual raise per employee, or about $1.6 million for all 3000).  MONEY: More paid time off:  Add one more paid personal day off each (from two to three, but a total of 30 hours).  Add more vacation days: 24 hours a year for officers up to 10 years on the job; 36 more hours for those from 10-20 years, 60 more hours for 20-year veterans.  (The  equivalent of that for an 8-hour work would be three more vacation days, 4½ more and a week and a half more vacation days.  That's on top of the 12 days, 15 days, 18 (average) days, and 22½ days they now get, respectively.  All of these added days off average more than 50 hours a year each, which spread over the 3000 employees at $35 an hour would cost the city an estimated $5.25 million.)  PFFA – Phoenix Fire Fighters Association  MONEY: Everything in the 3.2 percent "contribution" would be restored, in other words, a 3.2 percent raise in addition to the merit and longevity pay raises--which can amount to about a 7% overall pay raise.  MONEY: More will be requested during negotiations; the amount is not listed.  POWER/MONEY: Demands another 500 hours to fund city employees doing union activities.  POWER/MONEY: More release positions.  MONEY: $100 more each per month for post employment health benefits (the city already contributes $150 a month per employee). That's $1200 annual raise per employee and an estimated cost to the city of $1.5 million for all 1,500 fire employees.  MONEY: Members who maintain certification and hours in multiple disciplines get full compensation. They also get ladder certification assignment pay. (Isn't the rationale for "step" increases that an employee becomes more valuable who learns more? If that's the case, then why also pay them for learning more?)  MONEY: Paramedics who miss city-provided in-house training and have to get it  elsewhere will be compensated for the expense of doing so.  MONEY: Lowers threshold for getting out-of-class pay. Also gives a person retroactive out-of-class pay for hours worked previous to satisfying the qualification requirements. (In other words, we're going to train them to a higher level, and once they reach it, we'll pay them retroactively for those hours when they were in training and therefore less effective at getting the job done, not to mention increasing the load on the trainers.)  POWER: Require the city to allow Union to have its own Deferred Compensation  program funded by taxpayers.  MONEY: Increase dental coverage by $1,500 per year.  POWER: If Union sets up its own health and dental program, city would agree to give the union the current money collected.  POWER: The union wants to the city to commit to increase the opportunities for members to acquire leave time.  POWER: City will let union create a board to pick doctors who will determine the extent of members' injuries, rehabilitation time, etc. (This could look like doctor shopping.)  MONEY: Union wants the city to match $50 per pay period of an employee's $50 contribution to a post employment health plan.  (That would be a $1200/year raise, or an estimated $1.8 million cost to taxpayers if all 1500 do it.)  Where your Phoenix tax dollars go:  $98,322           Average  annual total compensation for Phoenix staff  14,999             Number of city employees  $17,975           Average compensation increase since 2005-06  $270 million    Amount taxpayers pay more for same number of workers  since 2005  $130 million    Increases in Phoenix taxes/fees in past 18 months  15                    Total number of city employees laid off because of the recession  40.5                 Days off (sick, holiday, personal, vacation) for first-year clerk  $8,000             Education benefits per employee  $0                    What staff pay for bus/rail (It’s free to them.)  50s                   Age at which Phoenix staff can retire with pension