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Friday, Oct. 7, 2011 | 5:03 p.m.
Don Burnette
Sun Archives
After union officials expressed disbelief at a county report finding the average wage increases for thousands of union members since 2008 had totaled 12.5 percent, county officials Friday had to agree.
In reality, the average wage increases for the union, which is negotiating a new contract with the county, were slightly higher.
Correcting themselves, county administrators said 3,947 members of the Service International Employees union did not receive average wage increases of 12.5 percent in the past three years.
The average is really 12.6 percent.
To leave no doubt, administrators put together an elaborate spreadsheet showing every SEIU member, what they earned in 2008 and what they earned as of October 5, 2011.
“There should no longer be a dispute over wages for SEIU members over the last three years,” Don Burnette, county manager, said. “And the longer it takes to negotiate a contract, the more likely it is we have to consider budget cuts that we don’t want to consider.”
More specifically, he added, those cuts would mean layoffs.
Nick Di Archangel, SEIU spokesman, called Burnette’s layoffs comment a “threat.”
Last week, Di Archangel referred to the county’s 12.5 percent figure as “cooked up.” After hearing the new average was 12.6 percent, he said he hadn’t seen the spreadsheet but the union is doing its own analysis.
One thing the union has already found, he said, is that since 2008, unfilled union jobs and union concessions have helped the county save up to $600 million. He repeated the union’s belief that the county has more money stashed in “funds” than it is letting on.
“We know there’s a shell game going on, and we’re working on it and we think we have examples of it,” he said.
In an email obtained by the Sun entitled “Bargaining Report,” Assistant County Manager Ed Finger summarized Thursday’s union/county negotiation meeting to county commissioners.
He said the county offered to meet several times in the next two weeks, all of which were rejected by the union. So the next meeting is Oct. 27. County Commissioner Steve Sisolak groaned about the delay, saying the longer a deal isn’t worked out, the longer the county keeps paying union members under terms of the current contract.
Finger also outlined proposals offered by each side:
• The union wants 2 percent merit raises and 2 percent cost-of-living increases in fiscal year 2012 and 2013. It also wants longevity pay untouched.
• The county wants to give no merit, cost-of-living or longevity-pay increases for one year, and wants to eliminate longevity pay for new hires.
Sisolak said he can’t see why this is a problem, since no one sees their wages cut. And to him, eliminating longevity for future employees “is the most important thing.”
“That will set up a new group of employees that finally won’t get these benefits that we simply can’t afford anymore,” he said. “But the changes won’t affect a single SEIU member today.”
The union is loath to touch longevity pay, Di Archangel noted, for precisely the reason Sisolak alluded to: Once it’s gone, it would be hard to get back.
“It’s the beginning of eliminating longevity,” Di Archangel said.
Seen as a recruiting incentive, longevity might not seem as necessary during a bad economy, he added, but when in better times, it could become a recruiting necessity.
“We don’t know what the economy is going to look like,” he added. “If it improves, longevity could be important again.”
Watching all this from the sidelines, private businesses are wide-eyed with wonder, said Carole Vilardo of the Nevada Taxpayers Association. None of her business members, and even non-members she knows, have given out raises for years.
“And if they have, it’s usually at the expense of a benefit,” she added. “And then, no one has given out (any raises) close to what these unions are getting.”
More than anything, she doesn’t understand the union’s insistence on any wage increase in the face of potential layoffs.
“Having listened to all the cries about not wanting layoffs and agreeing with that, you would think there would be some concessions to hold the line so you don’t have layoffs,” she said. “That is something I am very surprised at.”
No increase for the anti-American SEIU. Save the money for when we have to fight them in the streets.
No raises for the military, federal workers, social security so NO RAISES FOR THE SEIU. If there is money stashed away it doesn't mean that is should go to a bunch of people who think they are entitled. I used to be a union supporter but now I see them for what they really are which is a bunch of lazy A***S with the exception of a few members.
Check out the raises some D & E employees with the CLV have received even during this horrible economic downturn. Raises!!! People being laid off and the City of LV employees are getting raises. Please let all the people of LV know why they are getting raises, please. And prove your justification to the people.
If they want a raise, give them the raise. Then lay off whatever percentage of workers it takes to make the raise a break even in $$$$$. Is unrealistic to expect more and more when the economy in the valley is on shaky ground at best. Over 12% in 3 years, averages out to about 4%/yr. That makes them the only business sector (excluding financials)that is seeing steady pay increases (more so for the union bosses than for the employees). Absolutely ridiculous.
Maybe this dates me. Years ago, I remember a time when employees received merit pay and bonuses, besides a yearly cost of living raise. Our nation during those times was still growing small businesses (my family had such, I grew up in that environment) and when a business became thriving, employees were rewarded. When it was time to tighten the belt through some lean times, everyone did, if they wanted to stay employed and the business stay open.
What has happened to this?
maybe it's time for new county managers!!!
I can not understand why a union is in a government job position anyway, this is civil service, sort of like military, benefits are good, pay not so much, the job for people who did not get on with a big corporation. I am sure there are plenty of good people that would be happy to have those jobs at rates the county can pay and no union dues.
Wow - I find it incredible the union workers continue to get raises in this economy. I have not received a raise in FOUR years!
If I were the county, I'd audit the union. I highly doubt that they have 50.1% of membership participation. I use to be pro union because I see some benefits of it, but today, I am ashamed that my union won't make these reasonable concessions. The County Manager has the "ace in the hole". He holds the pen, so lets stop looking like "firefighters" and make it happen. The union leadership is really a big joke. They'll be opening at the comedy club this weekend here in Vegas!
Raises , merit pay, Longevity increases. Hello! We are in a depression. No raises for 2 years. If they can't live with this lay off 20%. No big deal. When a job opens up u will have thousands for the job. Enough said!!
Here is a great example of why public (not private) unions are a real insidious long term problem. They get paid by taxpayers while they get to fund, vote and possibly elect many of the officials that eventually approve their final salary benefits packages. In Nevada where the cost of living is low, all government workers, excluding teachers, earn salaries and benefits much higher than the national average and far higher than the equivalent private industry worker. Teachers here are slightly below the national salary average but student achievement ranks nearly dead to last in America. It takes real guts for a public union to say that they need significant increases over the next two years and then they should return to compensation as normal when in reality it isn't business as normal now nor will it be anytime in the near future. Maybe they can do what our highly overpaid firefighters do, give up their clothing allowance and other insignificant benefits for a short period of time the ones that only look good on paper.