Collective bargaining agreement for Lincoln street workers ready for vote tonight
 

[June 01, 2015]  LINCOLN - Last Tuesday evening city administrator Clay Johnson told the members of the Lincoln City Council that a collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers local 399 has been reached, and now needs approval by vote from the council. This is the union that represents Lincoln's Street Department.

Johnson said that during the bargaining, employees had shown that they were happy with the department as it is being managed now, and so the bulk of the work had been to reach agreements on wages and benefits.

The new contract will be retroactive to May 1st of this year and will run through April 30, 2018.

Johnson said the contract called for an increase in the base salary of two percent in the first year and two-and-one-+half percent in each of years two and three. This would apply to current employees as well as new hires.

The clothing allowance was increased from $400 per year to $450. The assistant superintendent stipend was increased to $150 per month from $114. Johnson commented on this saying that the Assistant Superintendent Russell Wright has been a great asset in recent times. He said that Wright has helped Superintendent Walt Landers a great deal and has been influential in getting the employees pulled together and working well together. “We think this is well worth the increase,” Johnson said.

The city also requested that the union agree to an increase in the employee share of the insurance cost. Johnson said currently employees pay five percent of the insurance with the city paying the rest. The city asked that the employees pay seven-and-one-half percent of the insurance cost in the first year and then increase that share to 10 percent in the second year. Johnson said that the 90-10 split was much more in line with the national average. The union agreed to that increase.

At the end of Johnson’s presentation, there was little discussion. Michelle Bauer did comment saying she wanted to thank publicly those involved in the negotiations and commended Landers and his crew for reaching an “amicable and cost effective result.”

With no other discussion, the item was placed on the agenda for the tonight’s vote.

[Nila Smith]