By MARLY KOSINSKI Tribune Chronicle
WARREN - A tentative agreement on concessions was reached Friday between the city and members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2501.
The union represents 23 employees who are considered ''middle management,'' including Community Development Director Michael Keys, Environmental Services Director Renee Cicero, Packard Music Hall Director Chris Stephenson, Engineering Director Bill Totten and building official Chris Tanneyhill, as well as some department supervisors and data processing personnel.
Human Resources Director Gary Cicero said the concessions package for AFSCME Local 2501 will be different than ones agreed to by the fire department June 19 and city administrators on Thursday because only five members of the 23-member union work in general fund departments. The remaining 18 members work in enterprise funds.
''Their package had to be structured differently in order to filter all the savings into the general fund,'' Cicero said.
Union members are to meet with city officials again early next week after voting on the tentative agreement, he said.
AFSCME representative Debbie Bindas said Thursday that there is not a lot of ''fluff'' in the contract for Local 2501 because members do not have pension pick-up, and both AFSCME unions agreed to a wage freeze for 2009.
Attempts to reach Bindas again Friday were unsuccessful.
Members of AFSCME Local 74, which represents laborers and clerical workers in all city departments, and members of the police ranking officers union are to meet with city officials Monday on concession talks.
The nonbargaining policies and procedures union, which represents about 30 employees, agreed to a concessions package Thursday that will save the city $118,000. It includes elimination of pension pickup, a 2.5 percent wage cut, a change in the health care plan design and elimination of longevity pay.
On June 19, the International Association of Firefighters Local 204 agreed to a contract addendum through Dec. 31 worth $473,000. It includes the same concessions, but also eliminated an attendance bonus, a yearly $400 uniform allowance and 15 minutes per shift of overtime for roll call.
The agreement averted the layoffs of an additional 18 firefighters on Wednesday.
Eleven firefighters along with 29 other city workers were laid off Jan. 1 to help trim a $3.2 million general fund budget shortfall. The recent concessions and layoff of 15 employees, including four police officers and 11 members of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, that took effect Sunday are aimed at cutting an additional $1.5 million shortfall caused by lagging income tax receipts.