By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Dowagiac City Council Monday night ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with Local 876 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
The IBEW represents street and bridge, water and sewer, water and wastewater treatment, motor vehicle pool, maintenance, electric distribution and electric generation and meter divisions.
Negotiations have been ongoing since August, with the current agreement expiring Oct. 1. The new contract runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2009, and calls for basic 3-percent wage increases each year.
According to a Sept. 8 memo from City Manager Bill Nelson to Mayor Don Lyons and council members, the water and sewer and street and bridge divisions will be combined into one cross-trained "platoon" that will provide additional flexibility in both areas.
In addition, as part of the reorganization, the position of "equipment operator" was removed from contract language and not filled. Instead, the city will cross-train personnel to operate the loader, which again will provide additional staffing and response flexibility.
In addition to the 3-percent raises built into the contract, based on a review of median wages paid in various other municipalities, the city agreed that certain positions deserve equity adjustments to bring them to a median range.
These include positions in the newly-combined water and sewer and street and bridge departments, which receive a one-time 7-percent equity adjustment. The electric division gets a 5-percent adjustment and quicker advancement opportunities through the journeyman process.
"We felt that it was important to make these adjustments in order to be competitive in the job market and to recognize the additional responsibilities and reduced workforce contemplated by the contract," Nelson wrote.
On health insurance, all references to the "traditional" Blue Cross Blue Shield option were removed from the contract.
This plan carried higher deductibles than other plans and was not elected by any members of the bargaining unit over the last few years.
Other options, with bi-weekly payroll deductions, remain unchanged.
The union and the city agreed to a letter of understanding that allows Dowagiac to re-open the section of the agreement on mandatory on-call/call-in after one year, if the city deems it appropriate.
"On balance," Nelson wrote, "I believe the proposed contract is fair and equitable for both the city and union. It accomplishes most of the objectives identified at the beginning of negotiations while also addressing several issues that were important to the union membership."
IBEW membership already ratified the agreement.
In other Sept. 11 business, the council authorized the finance director to pay out $289,450.21 – $167,027.47 for bills and $122,422.74 for payroll.
First Ward Councilman Darron Murray was absent.