Council approves 1 percent raises for city employees

Springfield City Council voted last night to give all city employees a 1 percent pay increase in fiscal 2015 and allow merit pay increases that could amount to a 3 percent raise.

At the meeting, council unanimously approved a substitute bill, which adds employees on the Law Enforcement Schedule. When the original salary ordinance was introduced June 9, the Springfield Police Officers' Association had yet to agree to the proposal.

Springfield Human Resources Director Sheila Maerz said the substitute bill was the outcome of ongoing collective bargaining discussions.

“The original council bill only provided merit steps and across-the-board [raises] for certain grades on the Law Enforcement Schedule. This amendment will provide for merit steps and across-the-board for all positions on the LES schedule,” Maerz said.

Before the vote, Councilman Craig Hosmer expressed concern that raises weren’t more targeted to make positions that earn the lowest wages more competitive with other communities.

But Maerz and City Manager Greg Burris said the three labor groups that negotiate pay adjustments would need to sign off on such a strategy. Maerz said the majority of city employees are represented by one of the three employment groups: SPOA, the International Association of Fire Fighters and the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.

“A large percentage of our employees are part of a bargaining unit,” she said at the meeting.  

Maerz said while the SPOA and International Association of Fire Fighters have agreed tentatively to the terms in the salary ordinance, the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees has declined to begin the collective bargaining process.

At the previous council meeting, Burris said $9.1 million in fiscal 2015 budget requests were denied in order to allow room for staff pay increases. He also said budget adjustments could be made in the new fiscal year, depending on the outcome of labor negotiations.