Phoenix Members,
We are reaching out to you with crucial information regarding the upcoming ratification meeting for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) terms, as required by our by-laws. The Local aims to provide you with all the necessary details to make an informed decision on this matter.
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Ratification Meetings
Monday, April 15 - 9am
Tuesday, April 16 - 9am
*Both meetings will be at the American Italian Club - 7509 N. 12th Street Phoenix, AZ 85020
Budget Concerns
Many questions have been posed about how the city “doesn’t have the money” given the rapid growth of our population and the state of the current economy. We have trimmed the council meeting that the city did its budget presentation and uploaded it to our youtube account and you can view that here.
Overview of MOU Terms
The terms currently on the table from the city are available for your review, you can access those by clicking here. It's important to emphasize that our objective is not to “sell” anything, but to present the facts allowing you to make an educated choice on whether to accept or reject these terms.
Importantly, we want to clarify that 'nightpay' has not been removed under these terms. It's marked out in Section 1 solely because it's not a new addition this year. Rest assured, nightpay is still included in Article 3, under the 'wages' section, maintaining its place within the contract.
Zoom Meetings for Q&A
To further support our members, we will be hosting Zoom meetings next week. These sessions are designed to address any questions regarding the potential outcomes of ratifying or not ratifying the contract. Additionally, we will tackle any queries that might not be covered by the provided information. The times for each of these meetings is below, to attend these meetings simply click on the meeting link associated with each meeting below;
Monday, April 1 @ 1pm - Meeting Link
Tuesday, April 2 @ 9am - Meeting Link
Wednesday, April 3 @ 1pm - Meeting Link
FAQs Addressed
To address some frequently asked questions upfront:
PLEA's Position: What actions is PLEA (the police association) taking in this context?
- They accepted the same financial terms city offered us and their membership ratified the MOU terms this past week.
Other Employee Groups: How are other employee groups handling negotiations?
- They have all signed same financial package we have and have either brought it to their membership for ratification or are bringing it to their membership prior to our meetings. At the time of writing this message the terms have been ratified by every unit that has voted.
Class and Compensation Study Changes: Are the modifications to the class and compensation study dependent on our approval of the contract?
- No, the city is making those changes regardless of outcome of our vote. You can view if, and how, the changes affect you by reviewing document here. If your employee ID number does not show changes than these modifications will not affect you.
Benefits of Ratification: Could you summarize the benefits we receive if we choose to ratify?
- 1 time $2,100.00
- 1 more paid holiday
- New Dental option
- More favorable language for members in discipline process
- Reopening language if budget projections are exceeded if requested
Union's Requests in Negotiations: What were the primary requests our union made during negotiations that were not accepted?
- New step 5% over
- Move members currently topped out to top step
- 2025 another 5% top step to all ranks and certs
- $5,000 in 1 time 2024 and 2025
- Night pay increase to $80/night (currently $40)
- Double “Longevity”
- 401a 6% (up from 4.42%)
- New Sick leave triggers at retirment
- 1-1259 60% (up from 50%)
- Over 1260 (75% up from 65%)
- Over 1800 (decreased from 2400) 100% up from 80%
Voting Method: Will the voting be conducted through verbal "yea's" and "nay's" or by ballot?
- Assuming the motion to do ballot vote passes with those in attendance (required by our by-laws) we will be doing a ballot vote. Voting will remain open until noon both days.
Further Questions and Clarifications
We understand there might be additional concerns or questions. These will be addressed during the Zoom next week and the ratification meetings scheduled for April 15 & 16. The negotiation team and I are committed to providing complete transparency and support throughout this process.
Your Participation Is Crucial
Your voice and vote are vital to the decision-making process. We encourage all members to participate actively, review the provided materials, and join the upcoming meetings to ensure your questions are answered.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to addressing your questions and moving forward together.
Fraternally,
Bryan Willingham
President - Local 493