City driving hard bargain with 3 employee unions

The city of Cedar Rapids has presented its initial bargaining position to three of the city's eight employee bargaining units: Zip.

The city is calling for no increase in wages in the first year of a new contract and a freeze in step wage increases that come with seniority.

Conni Huber, city human resources director, said Thursday that the economy dictates what management can offer.

The city also is asking union employees to pay 25 percent of the cost of their health insurance premiums, with a cap of $250. Firefighters and airport safety officers now contribute 5 percent of the premium cost, and library workers, 10 percent.

The three unions have different ideas for their new contracts:

• The Cedar Rapids Association of Firefighters is asking for a one-year contract with a 6 percent wage increase.

• The Communications Workers of America, representing library employees, is seeking wage increases of 2 percent the first year, 3 percent the second and 5 percent the third year.

• The International Association of Firefighters, which represents airport safety employees, is asking for an 8 percent wage increase in each of the three years.

The unions also want to maintain the status quo on employee contributions to health insurance.

Every one of the eight bargaining units representing city employees has contract negotiations this year. AFSCME Local 620 represents some employees while other unions represent police, dispatchers, airport maintenance workers and transit workers.

About two-thirds of the city's 1,200 full-time employees are represented by unions, Huber said.

The city has hired Jim Hanks and Mike Galloway of the Des Moines law firm Ahlers & Cooney to lead the negotiations with unions.