TRUMBULL COUNTY In Warren, city council members reject contract with WMA union

The union was willing to give concessions on health care, the leader said.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- City council turned down a contract with the only union that gave concessions, the union's leader says.
Only two council members supported the agreement with the Warren Management Association that had been negotiated between the union and the city administration.
The proposed pact called for raises of 3.5 percent this year and in 2005 and 2 percent in 2006 for the union's 23 members.
"The city would have saved money," said William Totten, WMA president and director of the engineering, planning and building department.
He was referring to a $94,000 savings garnered by WMA employees making a 10-percent co-payment for hospitalization and prescription coverage.
The raises aren't more than any other union was given, Totten said, and less than what others have received.
If the administration and WMA agree to an extension of the current contract, the city will lose that $94,000 that union members were willing to give up, Totten said.
The raises matched what council members approved earlier this year for more than 40 nonunion employees, referred to as policies and procedures employees.
"It's the exact same contract as for policies and procedures," said Councilman Gary Fonce, D-at large.
Favored contract
He and Councilwoman Virginia Bufano, D-1st, voted in favor of the contract.
"You don't make an example out of a union of 20 people," Fonce said.
Councilman Alford Novak, D-2nd, said that at the time council members approved raises for policies and procedures workers, they were under the impression the city's financial picture was better than it is.
He and Councilman John Homlitas, D-3rd, both said WMA members are some of the city's hardest workers.
But the average annual income of city residents is in the mid-$20,000 range, Homlitas said.
"You can't grant 3.5-percent raises and at the same time ask the citizens to approve an income tax renewal," he said, referring to the 0.5-percent income tax renewal for the police and fire departments that's on the August special election ballot.
WMA members' pay ranges from $51,251 for the assistant auditorium manager for W.D. Packard Music Hall, planning coordinator, water pollution control and water maintenance supervisors, water operations supervisor and water office manager, to $71,760 for the community development director and director of the engineering, planning and building department.