Now
Fair
73.0°
High
87°
Low
72°
Full Forecast

Coupon

Jobs

Cars

Homes

Rentals

Alerts

Subscribe
Home > News > Local
Bookmark Us   •   Make Us Your Homepage

Management employees vote to unionize

Comments 21 comment(s)  
E-mail Story E-mail Story
Print Story Print Story
Share  Share
Text Size: 
Tools Sponsor

By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 - 12:31:19 am CST

A group of managers and professional city employees voted Thursday to look into unionizing. The nearly 140 “M class employees” are among the less than 10 percent of city employees not represented by a union.

Among their ranks are engineers, police captains and attorneys and managers just a step or two below their department heads.

And they are some of the city’s most highly paid employees, with salaries ranging from $46,000 to more than $116,000.

Managers typically aren’t unionized.

“It’s an interesting situation,” said Gary L. Young, labor counsel to several Lincoln, Lancaster County and statewide public employee unions.

The employees are being uncharacteristically quiet about their meeting Thursday night at the firefighters’ union hall.

Assistant City Attorney Steve Huggenberger, who in the past has acted as a spokesman for the employees, said Friday: “We’re not going to have any comments.”

One member of the employee group who wished to remain anonymous because nothing is finalized yet said a show of hands at the meeting indicated enough support for unionizing, so the group is going to talk to an attorney about beginning the process.

He said the employees are interested in unionizing in part due to uncertainty over the future of benefits.

“Management feels we’re not represented and we don’t have a voice in what happens to our future unless we organize —  when you look at the direction of the city and the conflict between the mayor and the City Council…”

Some City Council and mayoral candidates have talked about cutting city government and firing city employees — even though their authority to fire employees is pretty limited.

Voters will elect a new mayor and four council members in May.

City-county Personnel Director Don Taute said he’s aware the M class employees were meeting to discuss unionizing.

To get certified as a bargaining unit, Young said, the employees must obtain signatures from at least 30 percent of their employees and file a petition with the Commission of Industrial Relations.

They would have to show they are a “community of interest” — that the nature of their jobs is sufficiently related.

Then the Commission of Industrial Relations can order an election in which a majority of employees must vote to be represented by a bargaining unit.

Georgia Glass, former personnel director for the city, said it may be difficult to show they’re a “community of interest.” Police captains, for instance, would be lumped in with health department workers.

“I’m really surprised and I don’t understand what they hope to gain,” Glass said of the employee move to unionize. “My curiosity is how will the CIR (Commission of Industrial Relations) conclude that they have a community of interest with each other. It could result in three different unions, I suppose.”

City Council members have talked about cutting personnel costs and looked into the legality of trimming employee retirement benefits. But they learned they have few options when it comes to touching employee salaries or benefits because public servants are protected by a variety of city, state and federal laws.

On Monday, the council will consider passing a pilot early retirement incentive program designed to entice veteran employees to retire, cutting personnel costs.

M class employees can’t negotiate pay raises; they just get what the City Council and mayor give them. Generally, their raises are based on what other unions negotiate.

There were rumblings in the M class about unionizing in 2005 when their raises were put on hold for months after inaccuracies were unearthed in a salary survey that had been used to justify new pay ranges to the City Council in late 2004.

The survey discrepancy was not the employees’ doing, but they were affected anyway.

While the rest of the city’s employees had already received raises, it took until February 2006 for the salary survey to get sorted out and raises approved.

The council adopted a new pay plan eliminating cost-of-living raises and allowing maximum merit raises of 4 percent, with the possibility of another 1 percent with mayoral approval.

Young said the city employees he represents are concerned about recent negativity toward them from the public.

“The rhetoric from some politicians in Lincoln is plainly unfair to these good city employees that have served the city for many years,” he said.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.


$1 Sunday Delivery - Subscribe Today!
Local > Back to Top of Story

Post Your Comment

Standards and Rules
All posts to JournalStar.com are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.
(optional)
   
Hide Comments Hide Comments   Newest First Newest First  
Now's the Time wrote on January 27, 2007 6:49 am:
" Mayor Seng can turn herself into a hero with this one! Fire 'em all, and re hire worthy people at realistic wages. While your at it, get real with the city benefit package, too! The savings would pay for the Big Ditch, the Harris overpass, and a Convention Center in 5 years! "
whatever wrote on January 27, 2007 8:09 am:
" If 140 employees is less than 10 percent of city employees, that means we have at LEAST 1400 Lincoln City Employees. Or, about 1 in 178 folks in Lincoln is employeed by the city of Lincoln. This seems a bit excessive to me. If you figure at least 25 percent of the population is under the age of 18, then the number is even more interesting, 1 in 133 adults is a city employee. I'm assuming a population in Lincoln of 250,000. I just don't think it takes that many people to run a city, if it is run correctly. "
Shssss wrote on January 27, 2007 10:47 am:
" The mayor needs to stay out of this problem. Seen too many snoffues!! People have talked about the low wages in Lincoln so I set out to check wages in the eastern city I moved from. They are very comprobable. Where the difference is, in the taxes. When you pay half to four times more in taxes, yeh the wages look low. Its the damn taxes that people should be up in arms about. The unions are killing this town like they have everywhere else. Yeh, maybe your getting your big wages, but your also choking the rest of the population and up goes the groceries and the rest you buy, and the poor and retireds non-union pay for your greediness. Yes, companies will pay the least they can, but we're talking city jobs that your digging out of the pockets of struggling retireds and poor. Why do you think tons of industry went to foreign countries. You want to be a hero and join the services, but when your in America you want to take every body for a ride and run them in the poor house. In the east I can immediately name a bunch of companies closing or have gone bankrupt. How would you like to be a Ford employee??? The whole problem is the TAXES!! Its a known fact from coast to coast, don't go to Nebraska their taxes are 6th highest in the nation. You get unions and poor more into wages and your wonderful city will even raise taxes more. Your not going to get it, THEY ARE and they will spend it. What good are higher wages when the city spends like a drunken sailor??? You need to fight to get the taxes down so industry & business will come in and it will benefit everyone. Not asserbate the problem. Living east, I never once heard, don't go to Nebraska because the wages are low. Front and foremost it was always, don't go to Nebraska their taxes are sky high, 6th highest in the U.S. And it was embarrassing to have to hear people say that about a state that use to be called "home". "
competence wrote on January 27, 2007 10:56 am:
" In my dealings with the planning department, they are not qualified for the salaries or performance they provide. If that is true of other departments, then the most senior employees need to get cleaned out. Let the other employees advance and prove themselves. "
ex-Lincolnite wrote on January 27, 2007 11:13 am:
" CONGRATULATIONS M-Class Employees! While many Lincolnites think that City Employees are overpaid, I believe they do a great job for typically fewer wages than the private sector. I was one of these, and that's why I left Lincoln. The City has fallen under terrible mis-management, and the only way for the M-Class to have a say in what happens to their futures, is to have a SINGLE voice. I'm not pro-union, but I am pro-city. I say best of luck! "
Excuse me? wrote on January 27, 2007 11:33 am:
" Now's the time - You must not know many people who work for the City - many are quite worthy. Most who this article refers DO NOT deserve to be fired - and they do a great justice for the City and many people in the City. Why should they not be unionized and represented fairly? Not ALL of these people are lawyers, etc. that make a ton of money per year. The spread of salaries is clearly a wide range - look again, and ask yourself how you or someone you know is effected by someone who works to make the City a better place. "
Dee wrote on January 27, 2007 11:59 am:
" as a 15 year employee of the city of Lincoln i can tell you this is where the big bucks are spent when they start talking about how much city employees make. Most departments have wheedled away the work force down to the bare minimum but the city is top heavy with people in management as far as cash spent. as far as unneeded people...start in middle management. The middle management of the city is bloated and filled with good ol boys who protect their own. "
ted wrote on January 27, 2007 12:02 pm:
" Get ready to raise property taxes again, so the union can hire more union officials. "
Scott wrote on January 27, 2007 12:59 pm:
" Wow! I am amazed at the anti-union attitude here. Don't you folks know anything about the industrial and working history of America? If you wish to return to the good old days of the robber barons (we may be there already), do so at your own peril. I would prefer that people be paid. As for taxes, we are a small state with huge infrastructure. It has to be paid for if we wish to have the services we currently enjoy. "
Craig wrote on January 27, 2007 1:53 pm:
" Robber Barons? That is who is trying to organize! These are not poor lowly workers, their leader is an attorney making over $110,000 a year. This is management, who unions are usually trying to overcome. This is a group of the highest paid workers in Lincoln saying they need more and have to guarantee their 2 to 1 match in pension benefits. This is why unions have failed in this country, they no longer work for the little guy, they only work for government employees and pro atheletes. "
Jimmy wrote on January 27, 2007 2:44 pm:
" The ones that get paid the most ? and do the least want to organize ? What a joke.. "
jerry wrote on January 27, 2007 3:18 pm:
" As a former union steward with the county, I say that middle and upper management have no business trying to get a union. The way it worked at the county was the engineering superitedant told the foremen which employees to hire as soon as personel sent down a list. Most of which were friends or relatives of the boss. One such person from Raymond had at least 3-6 friends and relatives at work. Guess where the promotions went? Most of these people who were promoted to supervisor jobs were given them from their relative and had very little experience. Most were overpaid for their knowledge. In the outside world supervisor jobs need high school and or college. Inside the county world all you need to know is somebody or where to kiss.. "
Amazed wrote on January 27, 2007 5:03 pm:
" Oh my goodness another leak in the well. I have said it once and again, get ready Lincoln, you ain't seen nothin yet. "
dlb wrote on January 27, 2007 5:06 pm:
" There once was a grocery chain called Hinky Dinky in Lincoln, Omaha and surrounding areas. 30 or 40 stores in easter NE and western IA. Once big and powerfull, the top dog in this area. When I worked there until 83 all we heard was how since the company was union it was driving us out of existance with Safeway having left (the only other unionized grocery) and the influx of non union shops like Russ's and HyVee, which would be able to undercut our prices because they paid so much less in wages. So in the mid/late 80's HD sold their interest to private individuals and the union was gone literally overnight. The wages were cut by 2/3. And guess what, the stores were gone in under 10 years. Guess it wasn't the union driving the company into the ground after all. "
I agree wrote on January 27, 2007 5:13 pm:
" Jerry, I agree with you but let me assure you, being part of a union has nothing to do with hiring friends/relatives. It happens all the time, in every sector. And, Craig...these people are trying to protect what they have. My husband (not a M employee) makes peanuts and we've always believed that his 2 to 1 retirement benefit match compensates for the salary he should be making, but doesn't because he works for city governement. I make a better salary, but my retirement plan isn't alot. It all comes out in the wash. Leave their benefits alone!!! "
M class person wrote on January 27, 2007 5:18 pm:
" Not all M class employees are in agreement with this! That is why a vote is scheduled. "
Taxpayer wrote on January 27, 2007 7:48 pm:
" This is the most ridulculous thing I have heard of in a long time. Rather than a union, how about setting them up with a bonus plan that is contingent with cost cuts to the taxpayers? "
great wrote on January 27, 2007 9:01 pm:
" More overpaid underachieving workers. Just what I want to pay for. "
great2 wrote on January 27, 2007 10:59 pm:
" There are no underachievers I pay for when I deal with insurance agents, consultants, bankers, construction companies, housing contractors, auto mechanics, LES, etc. (sarcasm). I guess at least these people fight for what they believe rather than to let the CEO/company run there lives. Go figure. Oh by the way, I have worked with City/county attorneys and they work many hours, have a tremendous caseload and are every bit as qualified as the private sector if not more. "
Shame wrote on January 28, 2007 4:18 am:
" Unions are a thing of the past and cause more harm than good. You were all sold a bill of goods when you agreed to do this. What a shame! "
psssst..... wrote on January 28, 2007 7:23 pm:
" Why should the M class employees be treated any differently than the rest of the city employees? How would you feel (and how would your job performance be affected?) if all of your co-workers got pay raises and you class was singled out for either no consideration for raises, raises were put on hold or your class was promised money that didn't ever come thru? Don't blame these employees for wanting to unionize. IF they had been treated fairly and equally among their constituency, this never would have happened. "

Ads by Yahoo!