Council votes to cut wages of nonunion employees

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By Danielle Wilson, Staff Writer Updated 1:32 AM Thursday, July 2, 2009

HAMILTON — City Council voted to cut wages by about 5 percent for the city’s nonunion employees.

During a special meeting Wednesday, July 1, City Council and administrative officials held an hourlong executive session to discuss the emergency ordinance.

The budget cuts, announced June 19, will affect managers, directors, supervisors, clerks and others who earn more than $35,000 a year.

Councilwoman Kathy Becker voted against the wage cuts and Councilman Archie Johnson was absent.

The city earlier eliminated 34 positions and demoted six employees effective, July 1.

Deputy City Manager Rob Smith said the city manager’s office initiated the cuts as part of efforts to save $4.5 million.

“These are hard times and people are losing jobs. If cutting my wages results in keeping jobs, that’s great,” Smith said.

The wage cuts will remain in place indefinitely, he said, until economic conditions improve.

Union firefighters are the last union group to agree on budget cuts with the city, said Eric Abney, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 20.

The city manager’s office and the union met for about seven hours Wednesday to discuss concessions presented by the union.

“The package we put together, I thought, was a pretty fair package. There were some goods ideas from the city’s side and from our side,” Abney said.

“We’re looking to see what that dollar amount means to us now and in the future,” Mayor Don Ryan said of the IAF’s concessions.

Smith said he expects the city manager’s office to have an agreement to present to City Council at its regular meeting on July 8.

Previously, the Fraternal Order of Police agreed to a one-year contract extension with changes. FOP members gave up eligibility of fitness and education pay incentives for this year and next; no uniform allowance in next year; and no wage increase in August 2010. Union members will need to take two unpaid furlough days in 2009 and three unpaid furlough days in 2010. After Jan. 1, members are subject to a 2 percent wage reduction, which could be offset by grants.

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Why only non-union employees? Once again it seems like the union employees get preferential treatment while non-union employees are given the short end of the stick.

OldeFarte
12:43 AM, 7/4/2009

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To nomore: Are you blind, stupid, or do you just ignore the last paragraph of everything you read?!?!? The last paragraph talks of the concessions the police dept. made. On top of the concessions, most of the court security guys were layed off(all are retired police). Its the fire dept. that is holding out, thinking they are more deserving then the rest of the city employees.

Sick of idjuts
2:20 PM, 7/3/2009

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This is great that police and fire fighters all across the US are not willing to give up a dime when times get tough. Remember this the next time a levy comes to town, whe can ALL return the favor and vote them down until the pay rates and Benefits are not so outrageous.

nomore
1:42 PM, 7/2/2009

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Our city mgr promoted an uneducated guy with no experience to be his asst. Rob is paid over 110K/year. The city spent nearly $400 thousand for the new TvHAMILTON but it sat in storage for nearly 3 years so there is no warranty, the equipment is old, there is no money to fix it. Worse yet is that there is no money to pay Jack Armstrong who IS TvHAMILTON so he will be gone soon. This is SHAMEFUL. Rob over Jack? Embarrassingly bad decision. Kathy Klink and her board should all go, Mark B included.

sad and tired
1:19 PM, 7/2/2009

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I guess that is another argument for people to organize and form another union. Way to go council.

citizen
11:47 AM, 7/2/2009

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