Bloomington City Council Wednesday passed the $129 million 2023 budget without raises for some union employees - as of now. Contract negotiations are ongoing and expected to finish next month.
The AFSCME Local 2487 contract expires at the end of 2022, and there is still no agreed upon raise for almost 175 employees next year. Contract negotiations began in May but paused after the city administration canceled two meetings. Union members have voiced concerns to council since department hearings in late August.
Bloomington Corporation Counsel Beth Cate said Wednesday the administration and union have set more meeting dates, and she hopes to finish bargaining by mid-November.
Local union president Bradley Rushton said a lot of employees might leave if the contract does not keep pace with the cost of living.
“What are you going to do when one-third of your fleet maintenance technicians walk off the job? Because it’s in the works, folks,” Rushton said. “You’re not going to have your firetrucks running, you’re not going to have your police cars running, your garbage trucks.”
Steve Robertson is a union member and said there are millions of dollars in the budget that should go to taking care of employees.
“One thing in the budget - you’re going to give city employees at town hall $500 not to drive their car to work? I have to scrape to even find gas money,” Robertson said.
Councilmember Dave Rollo said he is frustrated there is not a contract. He said council is “sort of flying in the dark.”
“I have to put my faith in the administration, but that faith has been really tried at this point,” Rollo said. “In fact, I don’t have much faith, but perhaps it will work out.”
If council were to vote against the ordinance that sets AFSCME salaries, it would also mean all non-union employees would not receive 5 percent raises.
“That would not be a good outcome either,” councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith said.
Councilmember Susan Sandberg appealed to almost 50 union members in council chambers Wednesday.
“I don’t want you to leave the City of Bloomington,” Sandberg said. “I know the public sector is not in a position to pay you the same amount that you can get out there in the private sector.”
However, she said she is hopeful the union will get a satisfactory resolution.
“Make no doubt about it, the money will be there to honor that contract once you’ve reached it,” she said.
Once a contract is agreed upon, it will need to be ratified by union members and approved by city council. At that time, council will need to make an appropriation to fund the increase.
The 2023 city budget is worth $129 million, excluding Bloomington Transit and utilities. The 2023 budget is up more than $22 million from 2022, mostly due to an additional $16 million in local income tax revenue.
All non-union city employees, including elected officials, will receive a 5 percent raise. Fire union members will receive a pre-approved 2 percent raise; police union members will receive raises of about 13 percent.
All city employees, excluding sworn police officers and dispatch personnel, will also receive two $500 bonuses.
