Long Beach : City Employees OK Raise
The city’s largest labor bargaining group has accepted a three-year contract that calls for at least a 14% increase in wages.
The City Employees Assn., representing 2,800 of the city’s 4,200 workers, overwhelmingly ratified the contract, which grants an immediate 5% pay increase retroactive to July 1.
The contract grants either another raise of at least 4% next year and 5% the following year or 90% of the rise in the consumer price index up to a maximum of 8%, whichever is higher, said city Personnel Director William H. Storey.
The association voted 250 to 40 on Saturday in favor of the pact, which the City Council then approved Tuesday. Prior to the strong rank-and-file approval, a group of city trash collectors called in sick last Thursday in apparent protest of the tentative pact, city officials said.
Windows were broken on seven trash trucks, and keys were removed from 34 trucks. Because of the labor problems, some trash pickups last Thursday were delayed until Friday.
The city was still negotiating agreements with the Long Beach Police Officers Assn.
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