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Union negotiations going smoothe so far
(by Sue Reid - July 09, 2012)
Union negotiations going smoothe so far
By SUE REID
With four of the eight municipal employee bargaining units, the city of Solon has succeeded in reaching contract negotiations so far this year without the assistance of attorneys.
Informal discussions with the remaining four bargaining units, including the International Association of Firefighters Local 2079, are taking place.
The firefighters union's last contract period went to fact finding and then conciliation, or arbitration, for a final ruling.
"We are in the middle of talking with the city now and Mayor Drucker," Local 2079 President James Nix said last week. "It is also our goal to quickly reach an amicable contract without the unnecessary procedures and costly expenses of legal representation, fact finders and binding arbitrators," he said. "We are always seeking a collaborative relationship the with city."
"I think fire has been willing to at least explore some discussions with us," Human Resource Director Thomas Cornhoff said.
"Both sides ended up spending money," he said of the prior negotiations, which went to arbitration. "To resolve the contract prior to that results in an economic benefit to each side."
Direct negotiations with Mayor Susan A. Drucker and her administration resulted in agreements with the police sergeant and patrolmen, both represented by the Ohio Police Benevolent Association, and the full-time and part-time dispatchers, also represented by the OPBA.
They all received a 2.25 percent wage increase for each year, from January 2013 through December 2015. Modifications to the health-care plan also were part of the agreement.
Contracts remaining and which expire at the end of the year include the firefighters union, two with the water reclamation and building departments, both represented by Teamsters Local 436, and the corrections division at the police department, represented by the OPBA.
"We will have to see how the rest play out," Mr. Cornhoff said. "There have been informal discussions with several of the remaining units," he said. "We remain open to those discussions."
Mr. Cornhoff said, as far back as he can remember, this is the first time contracts have been settled directly with the administration and without attorneys or labor-relations specialists.
"I think the police wanted to give it a try, and I applaud them for taking the initiative," Mr. Cornhoff said. "It was successful for both sides, for the mayor and for the police chief and his department. It was the smoothest negotiations we ever had."
If contracts are not resolved by the end of the year, the terms of the current ones usually are extended, he said. "There would be no increase in compensation until a new contract was signed."
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