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ontract re-opener has become the latest, trendy catch phrase across the state as the way to solve the economic crisis.   Many employers are heeding the recommendations of Governor Pawlenty, looking to freeze wage increases and seeking other concessions as local governments scramble to recover lost funding from the LGA (Local Government Aid) cuts and the un-allotment in December by the Governor.   What is the Union supposed to do with all of this doom and gloom, threats of lay-offs and proposed wage freezes?

 

                AFSCME Council 65 recognizes the difficulties that our local governments are facing, as well as the emotional toll this added stress places on the employees, our members, when faced with a possible lay-off, reduced hours of work, or a pay freeze/pay cut. The leadership of the Council stresses that we should be more than willing to sit at the table with our Employers and look at any and all cost saving ideas in an effort to save jobs, avoid lay-offs and to preserve the integrity of our negotiated contract. We do not need to re-open the contract to participate in such an exercise, and that needs to be our first response to any inquiries from the Employer regarding contractual considerations.

 

If the Employer is serious about exploring all options, members should bring out all the ideas on cost containment, efficiency of operation, stretching available dollars while focusing on job security and job preservation for all of our brothers and sisters. If the Employer is unwilling to consider the simplest concepts for cost savings as being insignificant in light of the overall economy then perhaps they are being insincere and only interested in cutting wages and/or positions and at that point the Union has no choice but to stand pat and enforce the existing labor agreement.

 

How much can be saved by lowering a thermostat by 2 degrees? How about turning on a half of bank of lights rather than all the lights in an office? How long do we allow idling vehicles to run un-attended? Can we modify start and quit times to become more efficient? Recycle paper (in house memos, etc.) or start implementing a double sided copying policy to reduce the use of paper.   Workers doing a job are the best experts at making their position more efficient, and usually more effective, now is the time to throw all of these ideas at the wall and see what sticks, what can be implemented tomorrow that will save some money, which adds up to saving some jobs?   Again, all of those things can be done without any need for a “contract re-opener”.

 

The leadership of Council 65 does not advocate for a formal, contract re-opener. We believe that the parties to the agreement can deal with a modification to the labor agreement by developing a Memorandum of Understanding, which ultimately needs to be ratified by the membership and the Employer. This mechanism allows for a temporary or time specific alteration in the terms and conditions of employment found in the collective bargaining agreement, and does not expose other provisions of the agreement to be at risk as they would be with a re-opener.    The MOU should be developed for any and all modifications to the CBA, they should be time specific, or subject to review within a specific time frame (6 months) and require formal ratification by the membership prior to implementation.

 

In closing, we recognize that times are tough for all of our members in all of the many different public and private sectors that we represent. We are aggressively lobbying at the legislature for a budget that will provide for reasonable budget solutions, for solutions that recognize without increased revenues we will not be able to sustain great public services, and necessary services, and we are willing to participate in the solution rather than being looked at as being part of the problem.