Frustrated by the lack of progress at the bargaining table, the largest labor group representing Santa Rosa's city employees may align with a national union to give itself more firepower in negotiations with the city.
The board of the Santa Rosa City Employees Association is recommending its more than 400 members align with a national labor organization like the Teamsters or American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees.
The workers SRCEA represents, including administrative assistants, inspectors, analysts and engineers, haven't had raises for several years. Negotiations with the city have been going on for eight months, and workers have been out of contract since July 1.
"We're contemplating what would be best for the organization and the members we represent," union president Mike Reynolds said.
Since the economic downturn, labor negotiations with the city have taken on "a more adversarial and controversial tone," Reynolds wrote in a letter to members.
That has required more time and effort on the part of the union. The union declared an impasse with the city three months ago. Mediation efforts failed. The main issue separating the two sides is salary increases, Reynolds said.
The union has since called for "fact-finding," an additional and potentially costly step allowed under Assembly Bill 646.
That process is scheduled to get underway in January. It would be the first time a city labor group invoked the process since the law was passed in 2011, according to Fran Elm, the city's human resources director.
The process involves selecting a three-member panel, including a neutral fact finder and one representative each from the city and the union, Elm explained. Witnesses including compensation experts can be called to testify. The fact finders' recommendation is publicly made to the City Council, Elm said.
She said the city is in "preparation mode" to make sure it has all the information the panel might need.
"It's a lot of paperwork," she said.
Compounding the challenge for the union is that only 78 percent of its approximately 408 members pay dues. The union has asked the city to allow it to become an "agency shop" which would require all represented workers to pay dues, according to Reynolds' message.
The union leadership, which met with workers Oct. 28, made the "unanimous decision" to recommend affiliation with a national union, Reynolds said in his message. Members will make the ultimate decision.
Most city workers, including public safety workers, are represented by a nationally affiliated union. SRCEA is independent and been so since its founding 65 years ago, Reynolds said.
The city would have no objections to the union becoming an affiliate of a national group, Elm said. Often such unions use professional negotiators whose experience with the issues help the process go smoothly, she said.
She said she understands workers' desire for raises. They've gone a long time without raises, have taken on larger workloads, and yet their cost of living expenses continue to go up, she said. Now they see "a little glimmer of hope" that city finances are improving and are unwilling to continue concessions.
"They want to talk about, 'Hey, we need a raise,'" Elm said.
She declined to say whether SRCEA is being offered raises or not, saying that "other contracts that are coming up are kind of setting the pattern of where we want to go."
Next week, the City Council will consider contracts with managers and unrepresented employees for 2 percent raises beginning in 2014, offset by 1.5 percent increases in pension contributions and shifting 0.5 percent increase in retiree health benefits to employees.
Reynolds said part of the problem has been that the city said it wasn't going to give raises to any groups and then signed contracts with two other groups doing just that.
He didn't name the other groups, but in September city bus drivers received a 5.5 percent salary increase over two years. And last month firefighters received 4.5 percent raises over three years, offset by increased pension payments.
The union and the city have one more negotiating session scheduled for early December. Reynolds said he's hopeful an agreement can still be forged short of fact finding.
Last year, the union's negotiations with the city went far more smoothly, with members agreeing to furloughs and changes to their health care plans estimated to save the city $1.2 million over the year.
Reynolds said he can't understand why talks have been so strained this time around.
"That's the question I've been asking myself for the last seven months," he said.
You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum at 521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @citybeater.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: