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Wednesday afternoon, by a vote of 47 to 14, Rolla’s public works employees voted to join the Service Employees International Union.
As required by state law, the election was conducted by the State Board of Mediation in Rolla’s City Council Chambers. Sixty-one of the 69 eligible employees voted during the 90-minute election.
According to Rolla City Manager John Butz, employees affected include custodial, parks, sewer, solid waste, street, and airport workers.
Supervisors and other technical employees in those departments were exempted prior to the union election, said Butz.
Both the city and the union have 10 days to file an objection to the election, something both Butz and SEIU Local #2000 Business Agent Perry Mullins said is unlikely.
“I don’t think either of us will file a protest; it was all done in a pretty friendly manner,” said Butz.
“The first thing we will do now is to start preparing a contract proposal to begin negotiations,” stated Mullins. He said the union will also begin to identify the individuals (locally) who will go to the negotiating table with the city.
“The law states that henceforth working conditions, wages, and benefits are negotiable items. So the contract will set the relationship,” Mullins explained.
Butz said the city is now just waiting for the union to initiate a “meet and confer” with union officials to begin the contract process.
“My philosophy of working with management is that I try to be a reflection of them,” said Mullins.
Based just on first impressions, he said, negotiations should go smoothly.
“I think this will be all right for Rolla. We can be an asset for the city,” said Mullins.
Butz said any agreement reached would have to be ratified by a vote of Rolla’s City Council.
Sometimes, Mullins explained, giving city workers a fair increase has to come through a ballot initiative.
“If that happens, we have resources that can help. Taxpayers don’t like a tax increase, but you’ve got to maintain services. Most citizens, when they know where the money goes, accept that. We can help get that word out,” Mullins explained.
Mullins said once a contract is ratified, the employees will begin paying union dues.
He also said they would have additional benefits, such as on-the-job stewards, their own representative and a business agent.
SEIU, according to its national Web site, boasts a membership of over 2 million; 1.1 million health care workers, 225,000 property services workers (janitors and security employees), and 850,000 public services workers, including local and state government employees.
The union has 4,500 workers throughout the state.
SEIU represents the state’s probation officers and on Tuesday, the day before the Rolla election, the union was chosen to represent the state’s probation officer assistants.
Employees with the St. Louis and Kansas City School Districts are also members of the SEIU, said Mullins.
This is not the first union action by city employees, said Butz. Rolla’s Fire Department employees unionized approximately 10 years ago However, the department has continued to negotiate without a formal dialogue or contract.
Wednesday afternoon, by a vote of 47 to 14, Rolla’s public works employees voted to join the Service Employees International Union.
As required by state law, the election was conducted by the State Board of Mediation in Rolla’s City Council Chambers. Sixty-one of the 69 eligible employees voted during the 90-minute election.
According to Rolla City Manager John Butz, employees affected include custodial, parks, sewer, solid waste, street, and airport workers.
Supervisors and other technical employees in those departments were exempted prior to the union election, said Butz.
Both the city and the union have 10 days to file an objection to the election, something both Butz and SEIU Local #2000 Business Agent Perry Mullins said is unlikely.
“I don’t think either of us will file a protest; it was all done in a pretty friendly manner,” said Butz.
“The first thing we will do now is to start preparing a contract proposal to begin negotiations,” stated Mullins. He said the union will also begin to identify the individuals (locally) who will go to the negotiating table with the city.
“The law states that henceforth working conditions, wages, and benefits are negotiable items. So the contract will set the relationship,” Mullins explained.
Butz said the city is now just waiting for the union to initiate a “meet and confer” with union officials to begin the contract process.
“My philosophy of working with management is that I try to be a reflection of them,” said Mullins.
Based just on first impressions, he said, negotiations should go smoothly.
“I think this will be all right for Rolla. We can be an asset for the city,” said Mullins.
Butz said any agreement reached would have to be ratified by a vote of Rolla’s City Council.
Sometimes, Mullins explained, giving city workers a fair increase has to come through a ballot initiative.
“If that happens, we have resources that can help. Taxpayers don’t like a tax increase, but you’ve got to maintain services. Most citizens, when they know where the money goes, accept that. We can help get that word out,” Mullins explained.
Mullins said once a contract is ratified, the employees will begin paying union dues.
He also said they would have additional benefits, such as on-the-job stewards, their own representative and a business agent.
SEIU, according to its national Web site, boasts a membership of over 2 million; 1.1 million health care workers, 225,000 property services workers (janitors and security employees), and 850,000 public services workers, including local and state government employees.
The union has 4,500 workers throughout the state.
SEIU represents the state’s probation officers and on Tuesday, the day before the Rolla election, the union was chosen to represent the state’s probation officer assistants.
Employees with the St. Louis and Kansas City School Districts are also members of the SEIU, said Mullins.
This is not the first union action by city employees, said Butz. Rolla’s Fire Department employees unionized approximately 10 years ago However, the department has continued to negotiate without a formal dialogue or contract.
