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A big thanks goes to the members of the Union bargaining team, and also to the 'new' City negotiators, who helped get us to a quick resolution on some contentious negotiation issues that were showstoppers under last contract's 27 month long negotiations.

Read more about the negotiations on our contract negotiations page.

Local 120 Recording Secretary Celeste Suliin Burris has won her grievance arbitration, challenging the City's assertion that there are no city-wide bumping rights when employees are laid off.

Celeste was laid off in July 2006, as part of a massive staff cut requested by City management.  She filed a grievance against the city because past practice has been to allow employees to bump across departmental lines in the event of a layoff, yet she was not allowed to bump when her position was eliminated.  The Union presented various pieces of evidence supporting our claims, including written policies, memorandums, and city web pages that all acknowledged city-wide bumping rights for employees.

As a result of the win, Celeste will have her employment status at the city restored, will receive back pay, and will retain the right to bump the least senior employee in her classification.

Update: 9/24/07: The Tacoma Fire Department has created a new position for Celeste to work in, at her original pay & classification.

Ex City HR Director Phil Knudsen Promises, "No one will lose their jobs", Yet 11 BIS Positions Have Been Eliminated
With the uncertainty surrounding job security for a few Local 120 members post-BSIP, let's take a look back four years, when BSIP was just a gleam in the City's eye...

Let's not forget the promises Phil Knudsen made to the City Council and the Union back in March of 2000, when it was feared that BSIP would result in layoffs & contracting out of Bargaining Unit work:

Click here to Play Video (3.1MB), or read the transcript below:

Council Member McGavick: "...Are there any employees being displaced by this contract"?
Knudsen: "None"
McGavick: "No one is losing their jobs?"
Knudsen: "Nope"
Council Member Evans: "...No members of the Union will lose a job?"
Knudsen: "No"
Evans: "And yet they will be very much brought into the process once the system is in place?"
Knudsen: "Yes, yes."

Knudsen: "Our goal is to have happy and productive employees, and if they want to negotiate the impacts, we will do so."

Fast forward to 2005, when BIS Director Dave Otto cuts the budget by cutting 11 jobs in response to the General Fund budget deficit.

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This page last updated on: 04/23/08