City employees approve new contract

The 461 Duluth city employees represented by AFSCME Council 5 overwhelmingly voted today to approve a new one-year contract, freezing pay at last year’s levels.

The union had sought a longer-term contract with the city but agreed to a one-year settlement in keeping with deals the city had already struck with smaller unions.

“In negotiations, you never get everything you want. But the biggest thing we accomplished was securing and protecting our contract language,” said Jim Dreier, chairman of AFSCME’s negotiation team. He said one key area involved ensuring that any future layoffs will occur in reverse order of seniority.

Dreier said AFSCME also was successful in removing a clause that had allowed for the city to place employees on unpaid furlough for up to four days, bringing the agreement in line with those negotiated by other bargaining units at the city.

Duluth Mayor Don Ness issued a statement saying: “We are pleased that with tonight’s vote, AFSCME members have accepted a contract that’s consistent with what the police, confidential and supervisory unions had already approved for the coming year. This is great news for Duluth taxpayers, who will continue to receive the excellent city services that AFSCME members provide for the community.”

A tentative agreement was struck between the city and AFSCME’s negotiation team at 4:30 a.m. March 4, after 19 straight hours of meeting with a mediator in St. Paul. The late-night negotiations averted a threatened strike that had been authorized by AFSCME members Feb. 23.

Of those who showed up to vote on the proposed contract today, 92 percent cast ballots in support of the proposed contract.

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