City of Yakima’s Largest Union Approves Contract Agreement

Members of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) Local 1122 have approved a contract agreement that does not include any pay increases for 2013 but does provide each of the 264 City of Yakima employees represented by the union a one-time cash payment, an additional paid day off, and the ability to be reimbursed for a portion of their unused vacation time.

The Yakima City Council is scheduled to vote on the settlement agreement during its June 18th business meeting.

AFSCME Local 1122 is the City’s single largest union.  Its membership includes staff in nearly every City department.

It has been since 2009 that AFSCME Local 1122 members received wage adjustments.  In 2012, the union agreed to a three-year contract that also included no increase in base pay last year but does provide for “economic openers” in both 2013 and 2014.  Over the last few months, the union and City management have been working on an economic opener agreement to cover 2013.

Based on a count of ballots on June 10th, AFSCME Local 1122 members voted 115 to 38 in favor of the agreement under which each member will receive a one-time cash payment of $600, an additional “personal holiday”, and the ability to be reimbursed for up to one-third of their vacation time earned over the course of a year if it is not used.

Also included in the settlement is a commitment from City management to not pursue managed competition involving any jobs held by AFSCME Local 1122 employees for the remainder of 2013.

“Our members have made sacrifices over the last few years in an effort to help the City weather tough economic conditions,” said AFSCME Local 1122 Staff Representative Eddie Allan.  “We appreciate the willingness of City management to recognize those sacrifices, like no base pay increases, by working with us to come up with a fair and reasonable economic opener agreement for this year.”

“The City’s relationship with AFSCME Local 1122 has really grown into a partnership,” said City Manager Tony O’Rourke.  “Our management team has been working hard to control costs, particularly personnel costs, and the union has cooperated with the City to meet that goal.  Both our management and AFSCME Local 1122 are committed to helping the City become financially stable and putting the community’s public safety, infrastructure, and appearance needs first,” said O’Rourke.  “That is very encouraging.”

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AFSCME Contract Agreement – News Release

Contact: 

City Manager Tony O’Rourke – 575-6040

AFSCME Staff Representative Eddie Allan – 452-7887

Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler – 901-1142