Union members reject COLA freeze proposal in North Las Vegas

The city of North Las Vegas’ largest employee union has rejected a proposal to forgo 4 percent cost-of-living salary increases for a year to save the financially strapped city about $4.4 million.

Teamsters Local 14, which represents 780 city employees in a variety of jobs ranging from secretaries to managers, voted overwhelmingly against the proposal Monday night, Dana Phillips, business agent for the union, said today.

The city would not guarantee there would be no layoffs if the union agreed to contract concessions, Phillips said.

“What’s the incentive for giving concessions?” she said.

The city's firefighters union voted late last week to defer its cost-of-living increase for a year, among other concessions, which the city said will save about $1.5 million. The city is still in negotiations with its police union.

The city, which has trimmed about $16 million from its 2008-09 budget, initiated the union talks in late February as a way to save money in the face of declining tax revenue caused by the economic slowdown.

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.