City’s move to trim cost-of-living raise disputed

The largest city of Las Vegas employees union is disputing a move by city leaders to give its members a smaller cost-of-living raise in the new fiscal year.

In January 2009, the Las Vegas City Employees Association agreed to a
1 percentage point reduction in the annual increase and said the city could further reduce it in future years if certain requirements are met.

On Wednesday, the Las Vegas City Council said that cost-of-living raises included in the coming budget would be 2 percent instead of 3 percent.

The LVCEA, though, said the city has not done enough to secure similar concessions from other bargaining units, which is one of the requirements. A grievance probably will be filed, union attorney Bruce Snyder said.

Cutting the raise saves the city about $1.5 million.

"It's an issue, but it's not a huge issue," Snyder said.

City Manager Betsy Fretwell said the city has met the requirement.

The cost-of-living increase for detention center workers is going down 1 percentage point, firefighters didn't get the adjustment and most likely won't again next year, and the city marshals offered to reduce their scheduled raise to 2.75 percent, down from 3.75 percent.

The LVCEA's grievance first would go to Fretwell. If she denies it, the union would have to decide whether to take the matter to an arbitrator, a process that probably would last until the end of the year.