Police and Public Works have been working without
a contract since July 1.
AUBURN – Councilors settled one of three labor disputes Monday night, signing a new contract with city Public Works employees.
The new contract gives employees a 3 percent raise each year for the next three years, gives them an additional week’s pay in 2005 and changes their health insurance plan. Co-pays for service increase from $10 to $15 under the new plan and employees are liable to pay 10 percent of extended medical costs, such as hospital fees. The current plan pays 100 percent of extended care fees.
Assistant City Manager Mark Adams said the contract is identical to one offered to the police union this summer.
“We are working to move all of our employees, union and nonunion, to this health plan,” Adams said. “We believe it’s a fair balance for all of our employees.”
Contracts with the Police and Public Works unions both expired July 1 of this year, and those employees have been working without a contract since then. Negotiations with the Police Union have broken down, and Adams said both sides have asked the state for mediation.
Auburn firefighters are also suing to enforce a 2 percent wage increase the city agreed to last spring.
Auburn employees have the Maine Municipal Employees Health Trust’s Point of Sale A plan. Adams said the city hopes to move all city employees to the C plan. In exchange for higher co-pays and long-term care costs, the city’s premiums would drop from $12,000 per employee to $10,000.
Employees currently pay 10 percent of that premium, so their paychecks would increase $200 per year.
Public works employees’ share of insurance premiums will increase 2.5 percent per year over the next two years, according to the contract. City Manager Pat Finnigan praised the employees for agreeing to assume more of those costs.
“When the city does well, I think everyone benefits,” Finnigan said. “When we fall on hard times, I think it’s important that we all share in those steps. I’m very pleased with the Public Works employees for letting the city take those savings to make sure the city reaches its budget targets.”
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