Teamsters Union Local 726 members took to the street in front of City Hall in Oak Forest, IL Tuesday to protest the stalemate in negotiations with the city over a new contract. Union members rolled out two symbols of their displeasure. One was a giant inflatable rat. The other was the Tin Man the city forced King Heating and Air Conditioning to take off its roof earlier this spring. The union represents the city's police and fire departments as well as the clerical staff and telecommunicators.
The police and clerical staff are currently working without a contract, which expired in May, union officials said. Union officials called the picket "informational" rather than a full strike.
The city and union are at odds over pay raises and health insurance benefits. Union officials say the city's proposed changes in health insurance benefits would subject union members to economic hardships.
But other issues have also helped bring negotiations to a halt.
Police want to fund an account that would help defray medical costs upon retirement. The union says it would cost the city nothing. City officials disagreed.
Union bosses say the city is trying to take back a $1,000 raise for clerical employees which was awarded after the union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the Illinois Labor Relations Board three years ago.
"Now the city's coming after it's pound of flesh," said Kevin Kaiser, the union's business agent.
City officials deny they are trying to take anything back.
Kaiser further accused city administrator Steve Jones of using union busting techniques to get the union to acquiesce to the city's proposal.
Jones denied Kaiser's claim. He said since JoAnn Kelly has been mayor and he's been city administrator, the city and union have negotiated two contracts.
"If we're union busting, why would we be coming up with contracts that both parties agree to?" Jones said.
Jones said the city and union have been far apart on issues with the police department. So the case has been sent to an arbitrator for a hearing Sept. 11.
Negotiations with the clerical staff have bogged down because Jones said the union is asking for a 7 percent raise. When the city asked for the union to provide comparable salaries of other municipal clerical employees, the union failed to provide them.
"In effect, the last two bargaining sessions have been worthless and a waste of time because they haven't produced what they promised," Jones said.
Kelly said the union's health plan had not changed for 15 years.
And this year, the medical provider no longer offered the union's health plan said city attorney Keri-Lyn Krafthefer.
(starnewspapers.com)
