Public-sector workers repaid with contempt

As members of the city's largest employee union, we have repeatedly tried to negotiate concessions that are fair to both the residents and employees of the city of Las Vegas. We understand that the economy has changed. We know that times are difficult and that, the public sector, like the private sector, must be willing to share the pain. We understand that and now, more than ever, we know that mature judgment, honesty and respect are called for.

But that is not the environment that exists today at City Hall.

Rather than a fair and balanced approached, Mayor Oscar Goodman has threatened to fire all of the city employees and rehire new workers at a rate of 8 percent less than what the prior wages were. When employees didn't immediately give the mayor everything he dictated, he threatened to double the number of layoffs.

These employees are human beings. Many of us have made a career of working for the city. Like everyone else, we need our jobs. We have mortgages too. Many of our workers are single parents or one-income families. These types of attacks aren't the basis of a mature, measured approach that takes into account that people's economic futures are at stake.

The citizens of this community deserve better, and these workers shouldn't have to expect, nor do they deserve, to hear the mayor's "threat of the week." This isn't a game. You don't taunt people and then claim a position as their leader.

From the city's rejection letter dated May 18, it is apparent that the city is still demanding the 8 percent wage cuts and holding everything else. The city asked for several concessions from employees with no guarantee that any of the employees would keep their jobs. The proposal included flattening all wage increases: no cost-of-living adjustments, no step increase and a freeze on longevity pay; furloughs; a four-day workweek; splitting the PERS rate increase with employees; no guarantee on employee restorations from layoff lists; and an allocation method for placing people at lower jobs classifications on a lower pay grade -- if they are hired back. This has been pretty much a one-sided negotiation process with the Las Vegas City Employees' Association being the only party willing to negotiate.

We would have been far more willing to consider the proposal by the city of Las Vegas, but there literally was no end to their demands. Even if we would have completely accepted the entire package, there were no guarantees that there would not be another round of layoffs. We understand that the economy could worsen. We know that no one has a way to predict the future in these uncertain times. But those kinds of considerations can be easily dealt with. Pick an economic indicator or indicators, if the economy worsens according to those indicators, agree to return to the bargaining table.

But that is not what happened. We were dictated a take it or leave it proposition. Accept it, and we can still lay workers off next week. Don't accept the bottomless pit approach to our concessions, and we will use the media to make employees out to be the bad guys. Not exactly the kind of negotiating that makes grown-ups rush for their pens.

Moreover, we know what happens when an agreement is actually reached. Las Vegas firefighters had an agreement in principle. The City Manager Betsy Fretwell shook hands on the deal. Do you know where the deal got firefighters? Nowhere. Apparently, Mayor Goodman has no qualms about going back on the agreement. This wasn't a proposal. It was an agreement with acceptance all around the table. How are we to negotiate, knowing that any agreement essentially means nothing? They, not us, have rendered their word meaningless.

There has been a good deal of attention focused by the media on ongoing negotiations. It has become great sport to follow the party line coming from City Hall while blaming employees for not going along. We thought it was time that citizens knew how much we are willing to be part of the solution and the way our positive efforts, after years of faithful service to this community have been repaid with nothing but contempt by their elected officials.

Don King is president of the Las Vegas City Employees Association.