A story in the Thursday edition about the Willmar city department heads, supervisors and confidential employees and the city of Willmar’s final proposal to the group contained two errors in the wage amounts for the years 2012-13 and lacked a fact concerning deferred compensation.
To clarify those points, the Tribune is printing the following below:
1) The city’s final proposal, dated July 23.
2) The city’s employee group’s proposal, dated June 9, and its counter-proposal, dated Aug. 6.
City of Willmar’s
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Department Heads, Supervisors and Confidential Employees group
Proposal dated - July 9, 2014
Here is the July 9 proposal the group of city department heads, supervisors and confidential employees made to the city:
Wages:
2011 - 0 percent
2012 - 1 percent + $650
2013 - 1.5 percent
2014 - 2 percent
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2015 - 2 percent
Insurance:
Employee Share for 2014 - Employees contribute $170 per month towards Family coverage on Double Gold Plan (89% increase)
Employee Share for 2015 - Employees contribute $250 per month towards Family coverage on Double Gold Plan (47% increase)
Sick Leave Accounts: Change interest rate on sick leave accounts to 3% from 6%. (50% reduction)
Affordable Care Act if needed: In the event the health insurance provisions of this Contract fail to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act and its related regulations or cause the Employers to be subject to a penalty, tax or fine, the Department Heads, Supervisors and Confidential Employees covered by this Contract will meet immediately to bargain over alternative provisions.
Other contract articles:
Deferred compensation:
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2014 - as is present.
2015 - End employer match for employees hired after 12/31/15.
Vehicle Allowance/Assignment
2014 - As is present.
2015 - Department Director receives either an assigned vehicle or $350 per month add to salary on Attachment A.
Salary Progression addition: Employees whose base salary is above the midpoint of the City-adopted pay range shall receive the 1.5% increase until they reach the top of their respective range. Pay ranges shall be adjusted annually, commensurate with the highest negotiated percentage wage increase granted to any of the City of Willmar collective bargaining groups.
City of Willmar
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City Final Proposal - Dated July 23
Here is the final contract proposal made to city department heads, supervisors and confidential employees:
Wages:
2011 - 0 percent
2012 - 0 percent
2013 - 0 percent
2014 - 2 percent
2015 - 2 percent
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Insurance: The city will pay the full cost of the premium for single coverage for the basic plan.
Current employees: For 2015, the employer will contribute up to $1,428 per month plus 50 percent of the increase in the cost of the monthly premium for dependent coverage under the basic plan. Any additional cost in the premium for the family basic plan or for a higher paid plan option will be paid by the employee through payroll deduction.
New employees: For employees hired after Jan. 1, 2015, the city will pay up to $625 per month toward the 2015 cost of single coverage. For employees hired after Jan. 1, 2015, choosing dependent coverage, the city will pay up to $1,458 per month toward the 2015 cost of family coverage. Any additional cost will be paid by the employee through payroll deduction.
Other contract articles:
Deferred compensation: The city agrees to participate in a deferred compensation plan. The city will provide a matching contribution of 100 percent not to exceed $2,000. Employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2015, will not be eligible for this program.
Vehicle allowance: Effective Dec. 31, 2014, department directors will receive a vehicle allowance of $350 per month, except directors who are assigned vehicles for business use. Assigned vehicles may be used to and from work.
New Employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2015, may be assigned vehicles and/or granted a vehicle allowance at the sole discretion of the employer.
City of Willmar’s Department Heads, Supervisors and Confidential Employees group
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Letter of Counter Proposal - dated Aug. 6, 2014
Here is the counterproposal by the group of city department heads, supervisors and confidential employees to the city’s final offer:
Wages:
2011 - 0 percent
2012 - 0 percent
2013 - 0 percent
2014 - 2 percent increase retroactive to Jan. 1 plus the following:
Based upon approved 2010 contract, additional percentage increases as follows to be calculated and added to the base wage for 2014.
2011: + 2 percent
2012: + 2 percent
2013: + 1.5 percent
2015 - Negotiations to begin promptly on this issue.
All other contract language: Will remain the same in 2014 (as the last contract of 2010), except for a recognition provision as follows for (exclusive representation).
Exclusive representation: With regard to recognition, the exclusive representative is mystified at your contention that they lack recognition. That contention is coming as a complete surprise in view of the consistent practice of recognition in years past. (In addition), if the organization were not a labor group, the council could not close meetings for negotiations, and the documents utilized by the council for purposes of communicating about negotiations would not be bargaining data. … The exclusive representative does not want to engage in further disputes on this point. For this reason, our tentative offer would require inclusion of appropriate agreed upon language that would assure recognition by the City and its cooperation in taking any steps necessary to assure that (Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services) has (this city group) on the list of certified exclusive representatives.
- Staff reports
