by rondelord | Jun 18, 2014 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Politics, Unions
City Suspends Contract Negotiations With Firefighters’ Union CORPUS CHRISTI – Contract negotiations between the City of Corpus Christi and the CC Firefighters Association fell apart as the city accused the union of negotiating in bad faith, and...
by rondelord | Jun 18, 2014 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Memorial, Pensions, Police, Politics, Unions
Despite unilaterally cutting pension benefits for its employees, the city of Fort Worth’s efforts to curb its billion-dollar deficit aren’t paying off yet. Fort Worth pension’s unfunded liability — or the amount the city can’t afford to pay off — increased from $1.07...
by rondelord | Jun 8, 2014 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Police, Politics, Unions
MARYLAND – Following an angry reaction from Hagerstown elected officials, representatives of fire and police unions said Wednesday that they are seeking the right to binding arbitration if needed in contract negotiations, but do not want to cause any undue...
by rondelord | Jun 8, 2014 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Police, Politics, Unions
MICHIGAN – Police and firefighter unions are pushing to be exempt from a state law that puts limits on municipal union contracts. It used to be that when municipal unions bargained a new contract that included a pay increase those raises would be retroactive to...
by rondelord | Jun 8, 2014 | Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
When it comes to the thorny topic of funding public workers’ pensions, the city of Los Angeles and the state of Illinois provide a common theme: Hurt workers like Christine Bondi. Bondi, of Ontarioville, Ill., has worked for the Illinois Secretary of State for...
by rondelord | Jun 8, 2014 | Fire, Labor, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
After a hiatus during the Great Recession, health spending and health costs are once again rising fast. This trend is likely to continue: More than 70% of cost increases are due to the rising cost of treatments themselves, rather than increased patient numbers or...