A union representing the city of Tucson’s blue-collar workers says it has reached an impasse with the city in contract negotiations.
AFSCME Local 449 members met in a special meeting after work Monday to decide on their next action. The city charter doesn’t allow city workers to strike, so their only recourse is to ask a federal mediator to step in.
Local 449 executive director Michael Coiro said federal mediation would begin Tuesday, Aug. 25.
The union’s contract with the city expired Monday. The two sides haven’t reached an agreement on a new contract and talks began in January. Coiro said a meeting with city representatives on Friday afternoon was cordial.
Coiro wouldn’t say what the issue is that they disagree on, but at a Tucson City Council meeting in May, union chairman Jerry Gebell said “year after year, seven years now” the blue-collar workers haven’t received pay raises. He told the council to look at cutting wasteful spending to find money for raises.
Local 449 represents 792 city workers, and 310 are members, Coiro said.
The city already was in the spotlight with increasing pressure from the ongoing strike of the Sun Tran bus system by the Teamsters. Additionally, three members of the City Council — which has a reputation for being labor-friendly — are up for re-election this year and face Republican opponents.
The AFSCME contract must be approved by the council.
The union’s Twitter account pointed to elections, saying, “Should politicians engage in high stake games of ‘chicken’ when opposition candidates are looking for 1 thing to upset dems/liberal voters?”
