Quincy approves contract with employee union

QUINCY — Quincy city officials and the Teamsters Union local representing the city’s public works employees have reached an agreement on a new three-year contract. The Quincy City Council approved the contract on a 4-0 vote during a special meeting Nov. 28.

City administrator Pat Haley said in a later interview that the contract replaces one that expired at the end of 2021 and was extended a year while city and union representatives worked on a new one.

“(Negotiations) may take months,” Haley said. “In this case, it took the entire year. We had to go through mediation.”

The contract includes a 4% wage increase for employees, retroactive to July, a 4% wage increase effective January 1 and a 3.5% wage increase effective January 1, 2024.

“That gives us some predictability on our wage costs going into the future,” Haley said.

Employees covered under the agreement received a one-time $800 signing stipend in addition to the wage increases.

“It represents some lost wages. Those are wages that would’ve been paid if we had come to an agreement sooner,” he said.

The two sides were close to an agreement late last year, Haley said, but the surge in inflation sent them back to the negotiating table.

“Most of the contract, from year to year, doesn’t change much,” he said.

The contract continues a policy where the city pays the employee premium for union-sponsored health insurance, and sets a new cap on the premium. If the premium exceeds that cap, the city will cover half the additional cost, with the rest paid for by the employee.

The contract also includes a memorandum of understanding stipulating that it will cover union clerical employees until a separate contract can be negotiated for them. Haley said those negotiations will start this month.

Not all of the provisions of the existing contract apply to clerical employees, Haley said, and some provisions that would affect clerical employees don’t apply to other workers. He cited the example of continuing education.

The new contract contains provisions for additional compensation for employees who meet certification and continuing education requirements. Haley said the new clerical employee contract will have a similar clause, but one tailored to them.

“It will be small changes, but nevertheless different,” Haley said.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.