County, union employees spar over pay hikes, contract talks

By Joe Schoenmann

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011 | 3:30 p.m.

About 70 county employees, all of them union members, in purple shirts and carrying signs marched on the sidewalk in front of the Clark County Government Center demanding a new contract.

County administrators and the Service Employees Industrial Union are in the middle of contract negotiations.

"What do we want?" the employees said.

"Contract!" came the answer

"When do we want it?"

"Now!"

The county has provided commissioners with documents outlining what they say is fact: Since 2009, SEIU members have experienced average wage increases — through cost-of-living increases, merit raises and longevity pay — totaling 12.5 percent. That is despite the union giving up concessions equaling about 4.8 percent.

The union's members at University Medical Center have seen their wages increase 9.2 percent on average, despite giving concessions of 4.6 percent, according to the documents provided to commissioners.

The SEIU has brought the focus to itself with fliers and postings on its website, but the county data shows the 11 public employee unions in Clark County have seen wage increases of 11.3 percent, on average, since 2009.

Only the county public defenders, special public defenders and M-Plan employees (managers), who are not unionized, have seen their wages fall, by 1.1 percent.

Union administrators dispute the numbers.

"Whatever number they cook up, I'd like to see how they come up with those averages," said Nick Di Archangel, SEIU spokesman.

He added that the by "tweaking" Medicaid reimbursement, the union is helping to bring in an additional $40 million to the hospital.

The county is in the in the middle of the worst recession to hit Nevada. It has seen property tax revenues drop by hundreds of millions of dollars. Along with sales tax declines, revenues have fallen to levels not seen since the early-to-mid 2000s.

Three months into the new fiscal year the county says it has a budget deficit of $47.9 million that is needs to close.

During the County Commission meeting today, commissioners gave the SEIU and its members time to make public comment.

Al Martinez, SEIU president, said he did not "think" the county's numbers showing SEIU wage increases were correct. In fact, he said, he believes "there is money" available that the county isn't letting anyone know about.

Martinez's complaint echoes that of District Attorney David Roger, who earlier this year sent out a letter saying the county grossly overstated the salary increases given to county prosecutors. The county had said those prosecutors had received 15 percent in total wage increases in three years.

An auditor later confirmed the county's figures, saying prosecutors had received 14.6 percent wage increases over three years.

The SEIU has come to the table this year asking for something few private employees in the Las Vegas Valley have seen in several years — wage increases. The union wants a 3 percent wage increase this year (the county is seeking a 1.5 percent cut) and a cost-of-living increase of between 2 percent and 4 percent in the next year.

One union member who spoke fretted over losing her longevity pay. It was made clear to her, though, that the county is not asking to get rid of longevity pay, even though longevity has been frozen for other county unions and eliminated for new employees.

Complaints also arose that neither side is bargaining in good faith.

Commissioner Steve Sisolak tried to act as peacemaker. By the end of the brief meeting, both county and union negotiators agreed to bring all of their proposals for each of 42 articles in the contract to the table.

The hope is that with everything laid out, the talks will more quickly be resolved.