Omaha union contracts being negotiated

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=2367436

Published Tuesday | April 17, 2007
Omaha union contracts being negotiated
BY KAREN SLOAN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

It was late 2003, and Omaha faced a $10 million budget shortfall.

Mayor Mike Fahey persuaded the police and fire unions to take a one-year wage freeze to help fill the gap. In exchange, the unions received better wages and benefits in later years that increased costs to the city.

The Omaha City Council signed off on the resulting contracts, but some councilmen warned that taxpayers would eventually end up footing the bill.

Four years later, those same councilmen say they don't want to end up with another round of contracts they don't like. They contend that the city budget is straining under the financial obligations of the last police and fire contracts and that changes are needed.

Fahey also has called for changes in police and fire benefits, but the majority of councilmen say they aren't waiting to follow the mayor's lead this time. Instead, the councilmen say they hope to help guide the contract negotiations by getting involved sooner and by being more assertive with their ideas.

"Last time, we sat back and waited to be told what to do," said Councilman Franklin Thompson. "We're sending our concerns to the administration earlier."


FULL story at link.

[acmavm]

1. Well, what do you think? Are they gonna negotiate in good faith? I mean

the city sooooo needs that footbridge to Council Bluffs and another baseball stadium in downtown Omaha. Like we needed that huge auditorium that's idle most of the time and that Arts and Entertainment Center that was to be paid for with donations (and that is idle most of the time).

Gotta keep the business community happy, that's the first priority. Screw the working class plebians.