Irvine : City’s Employee Union to Elect Board Today

Members of Irvine’s fledgling municipal employees union, which last May won the right to represent the city’s 300 nonmanagement employees, will vote today to elect a board of directors.

David Suter, who has served as acting president since the May 9 vote that certified the 135-member union, said nine directors will be chosen from among 12 candidates. A president, vice president, secretary and a treasurer will be chosen from among the nine winners, he said.

Although elections will be held yearly, Suter said, the top five vote-getters in today’s election initially will serve two-year terms in order to establish a pattern that will permit at least four seats to be up for reelection each year.

Once they are chosen, the nine directors will prepare for upcoming contract negotiations with Irvine’s management. Wages and job classifications will dominate the talks, Suter said.