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Marylou Berg, Communication Manager, 240-314-8105
Rockville Successfully Completes Labor Negotiations
City and Union Reach Agreement
ROCKVILLE, MD, May 12, 2010 - The City of Rockville and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Local 1453 AFL-CIO have reached a new agreement, effective July 1, 2010. The new agreement was negotiated because the City was unable to fund the third year of the existing contract due to shrinking municipal revenues.
The new agreement delays a planned 3.25 percent wage increase and spreads it across three subsequent years. Employees will receive no increase in Fiscal Year 2011 (July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011); 1 percent effective July 1, 2011; 1 percent effective July 1, 2012; and 1.25 percent effective July 1, 2013. Benefits and work rules are not changed in the agreement. The new agreement extends the expiration date of the contract from June 30, 2011 to June 30, 2014.
"In this economic climate it is important to be able to maintain services to the public, meet our employee's needs and balance the budget," said City Manager Scott Ullery. "This agreement achieves the interests of both City employees and City taxpayers."
The City and AFSCME have been discussing and negotiating the details of the new contract for several weeks and signed a memorandum of understanding on May 10.
"We are happy the City wanted to work with us," said Robert "Joey" Pritchard, local union president and laborer in the Department of Recreation and Parks. "We've got a good relationship and that's why it worked out so well."
The deferred wage increases in 2011, 2012 and 2013 are guaranteed in the agreement. Any additional wage increases, apart from the deferred amounts, would be subject to additional negotiations.
For more information about the agreement or the collective bargaining process, contact Carlos Vargas, chief human resources officer at cvargas@rockvillemd.gov or 240-314-8472.
