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Tampa, Transit Union To Pick Mediator In Pay Dispute

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 10, 2008

TAMPA - City officials and representatives of Tampa's largest union meet today to select a mediator to intervene in a contentious dispute over pay raises and a longer contract.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1464, representing about 2,000 of the city's blue-collar, technical and clerical employees, declared an impasse in the talks last month.

Union officials are pushing for a three-year contract, but city officials want to go year-by-year because of concerns about declining property taxes and other funding sources.

On Thursday, the city's negotiating team meets with representatives of the International Association of Firefighters to hash out details of a one-year contract for city firefighters.

The city has offered firefighters raises that include up to a 3 percent merit increase and a 3 percent cost-of-living increase, but the union's negotiators want more.

The meetings come on the heels of Mayor Pam Iorio's call for steps to reduce the city's skyrocketing payroll costs, which are expected to top $212 million in the 2010 budget.

Iorio told city council members Tuesday that the city faces a projected $35 million shortfall next year and asked them to work with her administration to contain payroll costs and raises.

"We need to bring the pay raises down to a more reasonable amount," she said.

In September, the transit union's membership soundly rejected a proposed contract that would have included a 3 percent merit increase and a 3.5 percent cost-of-living increase.

The union had urged members to vote against the deal.

If a mediator can't resolve the impasse, the council could decide the contract.

Council members in August approved a contract with firefighters after that union and the mayor's office couldn't reach agreement. The deal included up to a 4 percent cost-of-living raise, while keeping the step pay plan in place, which amounts to an additional pay increase averaging 5 percent for those firefighters who qualified.

At the time, Iorio warned council members that their approval of higher pay raises would embolden the transit and police union to seek similar increases.

Still, several council members say the economic situation has changed since that vote, so a request for higher wages may be rejected.

"Things have gotten so much worse since then," Councilwoman Mary Mulhern said.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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