Offer Angers Union

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/contentview.asp?c=217098


News
Offer Angers Union

Jun 15, 2007
By Serdar Tumgoren

Gilroy - City employees are grumbling about raises for their bosses as management in the latest round of labor talks seeks to keep a lid on employee medical contributions and salaries.

A green flyer circulating around City Hall captures the frustration of some employees in Gilroy's largest union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 101.

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/content/img/f217098/Valiquette,-Russ-2_03.jpg
'We're trying to work out a way for the whole AFSCME group to get raises. Not just certain individuals.'

Russ Valiquette Councilman


The flyer, distributed Tuesday at a meeting of the 135-member union, points to the $13,789 annual raise recently given to the city's human resources director, LeeAnn McPhillips, as well as the $14,980 raise given to City Clerk Rhonda Pellin. It contrasts those wage hikes with the $896 raise a union office assistant would receive under the city's latest bargaining proposal.

Union representatives would not comment on the flyer, since they have agreed not to publicly discuss negotiations.

"The reaction of union members as a whole was, 'Hey, if you want to give them what LeeAnn got, great,'" said one union member who asked not to be named. "But they at least want cost-of-living (increases)."

Councilman Peter Arellano said the city aims to treat workers fairly, but must consider a multimillion gap between its annual earnings and spending.

FULL story at link.