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Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Labor Negotiator Contract Rejected
By Dan McKay
Journal Staff Writer
The mayor and City Council are still at odds over City Hall's top labor negotiator.
The council this week rejected a new three-year contract with Management Associates Inc., which has been working under smaller, temporary contracts for the last few months.
The proposal before councilors was for up to $110,000 a year, with an option for a fourth year.
Union leaders and councilors questioned the contract cost and length.
"In my book, it's too much money," said Councilor Brad Winter, who opposed the deal.
The mayoral administration, meanwhile, said hiring the firm is cheaper than having the work done in-house. The contract length is necessary to provide stability, said David Campbell, top administrator under Mayor Richard Berry.
"It's a fair contract for work that's absolutely necessary for the city," Campbell told councilors late Monday.
Voting against Management Associates were Ken Sanchez, Debbie O'Malley, Isaac Benton, Winter, Dan Lewis and Rey Garduño. Supporting the firm were Trudy Jones, Michael Cook and Don Harris.
Sanchez joked that Management Associates must be effective because it "has negotiated a really good contract for" itself. He said the firm has a financial incentive to be combative with union leaders.
The immediate impact of the vote isn't clear. The city and Management Associates have already wrapped up contract talks with the city's labor unions for the current fiscal year, but there's litigation pending on some issues.
Winter suggested the administration come back with a less-expensive contract proposal or one with a shorter term.
"I feel like it's too much (money), and four years is too long," he said.
The mayor's office expressed disappointment in a written statement: "This administration proved to the City Council how contracting the labor negotiating services (would) save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars over several years. Regardless of their motives, the six city councilors who voted against the contract tonight put the interest of union bosses ahead of the interest of taxpayers."
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