Waukesha Mayor Wants Voluntary Concessions from Employees

Apparently backing down on a that he previously supported, argued Wednesday night in aand verbal request before the Finance Commitee that the city should re-open employee union contracts to require employees to take a wage freeze, increase their payments into their health care insurance and into their pensions.

The other option Scrima brought forward was 22 furlough days or laying off 17 employees.

“We are not going to know unless we try,” Scrima said about obtaining concessions.

The city’s employees are currently in a contract through 2012, which included increased payments to their health care costs and a pay freeze in 2010 with a 1.5 percent pay increase in 2011 and 2012. The city employees currently contribute between 7 and 10 percent of the health care costs.

Taking his request beyond provisions in the budget repair law that was supposed to provide municipalities with budget tools, Scrima is asking that all employees, including police and fire employees, make some combination of voluntary concessions to receive a pay freeze and contribute 12 percent toward health care costs and 5.8 percent toward their pensions.

Waukesha’s contracts were signed about six months before Gov. Scott Walker was elected and nearly a year before Walker introduced controversial legislation that eliminated most collective bargaining provisions in an effort to balance the state’s budget. Waukesha has received cuts in state funding.

“We do have time to have a very thorough and candid discussion on this,” Scrima said.

Scrima will make that request of the public unions, which may require a special Common Council meeting to sort out budget changes and any contract issues.

The council was planning on adopting the budget by Nov. 15, but the last-minute request from the mayor could push that back. City Clerk/Treasurer Tom Neill told the council it needs to be approved by the end of November in order for tax bills to go out in time.

Scrima is requesting the unions make concessions, but Human Resources Director Donna Whalen informed the council that if the contract is amended, then all provisions in the budget repair bill go into effect, with the exception of police and fire employees. That means even if employees agree to make concessions in one area, all provisions in the budget repair bill have to be made.

“I think it is unrealistic to anticipate that they would be willing to do that,” Whalen said.

Scrima said they wouldn’t have to amend the contracts, though, if the concessions were given voluntarily by the unions.

“If we can agree on some type of compromise in pay and benefits, as other communities have done, none of our city employees will have to be laid off and furloughed,” Scrima said.

While Scrima asked members of the Finance Committee to take an immediate stand on employee contributions, not everyone was prepared to give an answer. Alderman Joe Pieper, who is chair of the Finance Committee, said he didn’t have adequate time to talk about it with city staff members and his constituents.

“I received this memo today at 4:52 p.m.,” Pieper said. “… I have had the opportunity to think about it for two hours.”

Alderman John Kalblinger noted that the mayor’s proposal of 22 furlough days for all employees except for police and fire personnel would cut about 10 percent of their scheduled working days.

“If my employer came to me and said you are not going to get paid for 10 percent of the days, I think I would be willing to make some concessions,” Kalblinger said.

Alderman Andy Reiland agreed with the mayor’s approach.

“I think we should at least approach the unions with that request,”  he said.