Street, Electric Unions Take Cuts, Avoid Layoffs During Tough Budget Time

The Batavia City Council on Monday night approved pay increases in a new contract for its street division and a contract extension for its electric division. 

The workers in the two divisions agreed to take some cuts due to city’s tight budget for 2011.

The street division and the electric division have about 30 union employees combined. Half of each division is made up of union employees, said Gary Holm, the city's director of public works.

The city agreed to a 2010 step increase for the union street and electric division employees, but it was deferred.  The employees will get the step pay increases as of Jan. 1, 2011, stated Randy Recklaus, assistant city administrator, in a memo.

In addition, the street and electric division unions agreed to take eight hours of unpaid vacation, or furlough time, between Jan. 1, 2011 and Oct. 1, 2011.

Due to these conditions, no layoffs for these unions will occur through the end of 2011, Recklaus said in the memo.

On July 1, the city will reopen discussions with the street division union employees for possible wage increases.

The city has an agreement with the electric division union for the next six years, ending Dec. 31 , 2013. This contract includes already agreed-upon pay increases.

The electric division union consented to changing their five-year contract, which began Jan. 1, 2008 and ends Dec. 31, 2012. Re-opening the contract meant postponing a scheduled 3.5 percent increase for May of 2011 to January of 2012 and reduced holiday pay with the rest of the city employees.  The union agreed to the same deal last year.

Considering the electric division union made these concessions, the city has extended the contract to 2013 with a salary increase of 3.5 percent.

“In light of the sacrifices they have made and have agreed to make this year, (the) Staff feels that this is a fair compromise and is in the spirit of what we are trying to accomplish,” Recklaus said in the memo.