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By Dave Toplikar (contact) 
Friday, March 26, 2010 | 5:20 p.m.
Sun Coverage
- City employee union offers to take furloughs, pay cut (3-23-2010)
- Goodman cites ‘gridlock’ in union negotiations (3-18-2010)
- Goodman backs off proposal to fire, rehire city employees (3-15-2010)
- Mayor ‘serious’ about firing/rehiring city employees (3-11-2010)
- Council advances budget that would leave 146 jobless (3-10-2010)
- Las Vegas mayor: Salary cuts needed to save 171 city jobs (3-4-2010)
- Goodman: City could save 171 jobs if unions agree to pay cut (2-25-2010)
- Las Vegas Mayor: No agreement yet on city employee contracts (1-28-2010)
- Las Vegas mayor calls on city employee unions to reopen contracts (1-7-2010)
- Las Vegas City Council OKs 8 percent salary, benefits cut (1-6-2010)
A union leader who represents the largest group of Las Vegas city employees expressed hope today that an agreement might come as early as next week with the city that could both balance the city's budget and keep employees from being laid off.
"We're continuing to talk and we're continuing to work on the issues," Don King, president of the Las Vegas City Employees Association, said late this afternoon.
"And hopefully we'll have something we can take to the membership that is agreeable to both sides," King said. "I don't know that that will happen, but we're trying."
King made those remarks after meeting with city representatives about the 1,036-member union's concession offer to forego a 3 percent cost of living increase next year and have employees each take 96 hours of furlough during 2011 (one day per month).
"If the city accepted that offer it would be 8.3 percent less (money) in my people's pockets next year," King said.
He said the city representatives have scheduled hour-long meetings on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to talk about the union's eight-point concession offer.
"I don't see us getting there on Monday. I'm not saying we couldn't get there sometime next week," he said.
The LVCEA made the offer after the city council approved a tentative budget earlier this month that would lay off 146 city employees on June 12, including about 120 members of the union.
The layoffs would save about $38 million as part of cutbacks designed to stave off a $70 million shortfall next year.
Mayor Oscar Goodman and City Manager Betsy Fretwell have offered the LVCEA and the city's other bargaining groups the option of taking a salary cut of 8 percent this year and another 8 percent next year as a way to save all employees' jobs and keep city services from being cut.
However, none of the unions agreed to those cuts, so the City Council went ahead with the option of cutting programs and laying off employees in its tentative budget.
The LVCEA presented its concession offer last Friday, then met Wednesday with city representative to clarify the offer and again today to talk about some changes the city is suggesting.
"They're trying to talk about some other alternatives. I don't know where we are going to end up," King said, declining to divulge specifics about the meeting.
Asked about the LVCEA's offer Thursday during his weekly press conference, Mayor Oscar Goodman declined comment, saying he was to be briefed on the LVCEA concession offer later that day.
David Riggleman, the city's communications director, put out a statement this afternoon:
"Discussions with the bargaining units are ongoing. For the LVCEA, more sessions are planned to go over the eight concessions offered, and to determine the actual savings for each. As the city manager indicated in her initial letter to the unions in November, labor costs need to remain flat with employees taking an eight-percent reduction in compensation in order to achieve a balanced budget."
8.3% less money for less time at work. We would be better off laying off 8.3% of the salaries and saving on the retirement and health care, after all, health care is now free for all the unemployed.
Signing a new contract to keep too many people working (and paying union dues) at too high a salary is a disaster. It is time for LEADERS to cut the staff and the salaries and start making government work for us instead of keeping us all working for government.
Nov. 2010, change all the spenders out to their own retirement.
People had better start demanding an end to the wars...this will continue AND get worse.
How about this for a deal.Bust all Government Unions.Bust all Government Leeches.
Joe Kidd? ha ha. Next, use Philo Beddoe, Harry Callahan, Bill Munny, or Josey Wales!
The shape of things to come, as seen through the eyes of the people who live and pay taxes in Flint, MI.
After the Police and Fire Unions refused to take concessions to help the city stave off 8 million deficit, the city was forced to lay-off 1/3 of the police force and 1/4 of the firemen.
Two days ago, after the unions refused to help, eight fires mysteriously started within a 18 hour period and burned down several residential structures that were vacant. Two of the firemen were slightly injured and the next day, along with the others were given their pink slips.
City officials are still investigating and have yet to identify the person or persons responsible.
Anyone want to bet on who's responsible?
My monies on the firethugs.
They would rather let their brothers end up on unemployment than to take a pay cut, share the pain and keep all working.
I guess this is what is meant by the saying, "they eat their own"!
Just some facts that were left out of the story.....
The firefighting union has been exempted by the city from getting any lay-offs. The city magically "found" some money a few weeks ago and said that the firefighters staff would not be laid-off.
Of course, the firefighters will not forgo one dime in furloughs or salary cuts. They propbably will still keep some raises, too.
The very very very very weak LVCEA will take bigger cuts to offset the other unions that will take zero cuts or tiny cuts. Just like they did last year.
LVCEA leadership is so funny. This year they beat their chest and declared...."We are not going first again".
Guess what....they are not only going first again but they are the only ones going at all.
I see very rough waters for the LVCEA union staff.
I bet good money that they will see a big drop in union members.
I bet good money that there will be attempts to change either the union leadership or get a different union to represent members.
There might even be a chance that this deal that they are trying to cut will be rejected by the membership.
Mayor fix our budget and show Obama how its done.
Save our Kids from this Mass Destruction.
The people are with you.LOL
FiremanFred,
Your economy problem and vacant fire problem probably has nothing to do with the automotive industry in your area. I know because I live close, and in an area where plants have closed. Anytime there is a fire here, we don't automatically blame the firefighters because they have had layoffs.
Of course you would be quick to blame the firefighters to try to be a hero and fuel the hatred of firefighters on this site.
You go you hero! Maybe the local Flint news will contact you about a feature breaking story on how firemen set houses on fire to prove a point because FiremanFred said so. I hope to see you on TV!
Eight fires in a 18 hour span, on the nexus of a lay-off of 1/4 of the staff. Every structure was within a 5 mile area. All were vacant.
You may be correct in you opinions. All the fires probably have nothing to do with the lay-off.
But then I was compelled to do a little research
In speaking with D.L Gordon yesterday going back 2 years. There has NEVER been 8 residential fires within a 24 hour period recorded, that he could find in their records. That information is courtesy of the Flint Fire District Information Officer.
I just read the news. I don't create it. As far as for the firemen in Las Vegas and Clark county. As a taxpayer, I find it repulsive that they milk the system to their advantage to the tune of excess of 150K a year, when the average wage/salary in the private sector is below 50K.
Once again, I just read the news, I don't create it!
As far as fueling the hatred, maybe you should look in the mirror
By the way, Bond213,
I live here in Las Vegas. Have for 24 years now. I have continually read firemen spout off how that without them, we the taxpayers would be helpless. Do a little research of your own and find all that love that these Firemen have. In the end, they WILL eat their own here as they did in Flint, MI and countless other cities and counties around the country. If they would just not come off as the hero's, when they always refer to 9/11, and be willing to as a collective group come forward and offer to take less, so their brothers can continue to have jobs too.
By the way....... I DO feel that the NYFD and NYPD were and ARE HERO'S.
I am a member of another Union in town and I am tired of having them act like they speak for me when it comes to elections. To have fought for this jobs killer Health Bill makes me sick.
At a time when we need to get the economy going they are running up the debt, raising taxes and killing jobs. Hey Unions, stop trying to do me ant favors. AT&T, Cat, John Deere, Verizon and many other companies have figured they are going to be taking huge financial hits with the new Health Care. They have told employees to expect premiums they now pay to go up over the next few years with benifits cut. And they may have to push the retired employees that are now covered to the welfare Medicad program or cut the benifits they do give.
CBO says Obama's estimate of running a 8.6 trillion debt this year that they claimed just weeks ago was off by 1.5 trillion. Wow I hope they did a little better with the 20 year projections they forced the CBO to use to figure the Health Care costs.
It is a jobs killer and will bankrupt our country and you can thank the Unions for helping to shove it down our throats. Vote these bums out come Nov and lets get this country back on track.
Interesting fact; Unions representing municipal employees are not within the jurisdiction of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. In other words, no transparency, they are not required to submit their financial information to the DOL annually.
To Sgt Rock: The fire union cant give back something they dont have? They have no contract as of now. All the other unions are doing concessions, the fire union is in negotiations. There is a big difference in the two. Once the contract is finalized, concessions will be made.
Ummmmmm....the City is afraid of the Fire unions and majically found money and announced that they are no longer targeting any Fire staff for layoffs.
Also....Ok...if you want you think is true than the fire unions will offer or accept cuts.
If they don't then that means you are full of BS.
I am confident that at the end of day that they will prove that you are full of BS.
Blah, blah, blah. Whatever the City decides is what the City decides.
Union or no union is going to change that.
FF, please don't pay attention to any of the Debbie Downers or Negative Nellies posting here. Keep on living. I'm not there physically but I am there in spirit. I personally know that you'll do what you need to do to save a life.
People in this country have a right to work, regardless if they are government employees...the simple fact being is that you need us more than you think. If we are not here then someone else would be doing the same thing and some of you people would be complaining and whining as always! As a matter of fact, a lot of these jobs with local governments require Bachelor's degrees or higher, so there are good and smart people at these position..give credit where credit is due!
Don't worry SgtRock and all the other FF haters, if the city is truley in the financial hole that they say they are (and this will come out in arbitration, the books will be open) then they are free to lay off FF, marshalls, etc. If Oscar really wanted to lay off all city workers, all he has to do is say the city is bankrupt, then all contracts are void and they can do whatever they want. Only problem with that is then they cannot continue with the new city hall project, as it will not get financed.
Funny how there is still no talk of Metro taking any pay reductions. 42% of thier $500 million budget is funded by the city, yet no talk of reducing their pay by 16%, and the 1500 civilian employees are getting a 3.5% raise this year. I guess everyone here is o.k. with that, as long as we keep hating firefighters. Metro is much bigger, thier salaries are mysteriously missing from TransparentNV, and they make similar in pay and benefits as fire. Maybe since the Sheriff is elected and cannot be fired, he can do whatever he wants and answers to no one.
Yes, FF layoffs are very likely in the future, which will please many of you. But then you will also be the first ones to line up and sue the city when reduced staffing causes increase response times, or the private ambulance takes 15 minutes to show up to your emergency. It's always those that scream for smaller government who compain the most when the government doesn't run to their aid. Don't look for a tax refund either for the smaller FD and lower level of service, it won't be there. City hall has to be paid for when those bonds come due in several years.