The Mayor and City Council have always prided themselves, by showing commitment to their employees by providing a fair wage and exemplary compensation package. For the past several years, this has been accomplished while maintaining a consistent tax rate and ensuring no reduction of services to the citizens of Laurel.
The Mayor and City Council of Laurel have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing labor relations and employee welfare as evidenced by successfully negotiating four (4) collective bargaining agreement contracts with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 11.
After a year and a half long process, I want to provide you, the taxpayers, with a timeline of facts on what has taken place between the City and UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO. On February 27, 2023, six employees from the City’s Department of Public Works (DPW), three UFCW members, and one representative from UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, spoke at the general public meeting of the Mayor and City Council notifying of their intent to unionize.
On March 13, 2023, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO Representatives, Mr. John Berry & Alijandro Marina spoke again at the general public hearing requesting that DPW be given the ability to unionize. At this meeting former City of Laurel Mayor Craig A. Moe accepted the request for certain DPW employees to unionize and explained that the process would require an amendment to the labor section of the City Code, as well as to the City’s Charter. Also, at that time it was stated that the City would need to hire a labor attorney for this process. Most of the City Council members agreed to proceed to seek legal representation in this matter and move forward in a timely manner. At the time, Mayor Moe explained that the process to amend the Charter would take at least three to six months to complete as the City required a Work Session and at least two (2) public hearings in addition to the Maryland State Law, prohibiting a municipal Charter Amendment from becoming effective until fifty (50) days following its approval by the governing body. Further, after the Charter was amended, the City would have to write the labor code and hold the required public hearings.
On March 27, 2023, at the Mayor and City Council meeting, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, President Gino Renne expressed his concerns during the general public hearing that the process of changing the Code was taking too long.
On May 22, 2023, at the Mayor and City Council Meeting, Charter Resolution No. 179 - A Charter Resolution of the Mayor and City Council to Amend Article 300 Government of the Charter of City Laurel to Amend Section 357 to allow for Collective Bargaining for Certain Employees of Public Works was passed with a unanimous vote of the Mayor and City Council. The Charter Amendment became effective on July 12, 2023.
At the September 25, 2023, Mayor and City Council meeting, Ordinance No. 2017 was passed with a unanimous vote. This Ordinance amended the Laurel City Code to remove Article IV Labor Code from Chapter 12 Police Department and create a new Labor Code Chapter 13.
On October 17, 2023, pursuant to the City of Laurel Labor Code, Chapter 13, Sections 13-3 and 13-7, a secret ballot election was held to determine that UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO would serve as the exclusive bargaining representative of the Department of Public Works.
On November 13, 2023, the UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, requested to bargain with the City of Laurel for Department of Public Works Union Rights. The City of Laurel responded to UFCW Local 1994’s request on November 14, 2023, to schedule the first meeting of negotiations for December 14, 2023.
The City of Laurel and UFCW Local 1994 established the ground rules and meeting dates for negotiating, which were as follows: January 11, 2024, January 18, 2024, January 25, 2024, February 1, 2024, February 8, 2024, and February 15, 2024, to negotiate the collective bargaining agreement. All non-economic proposals were accepted and tentatively agreed upon by both parties. However, the matter of workers’ wages was still in dispute. On February 22, 2024, the City declared Impasse, which was in accordance with Ordinance 2017, Labor Code Section 13 – 13. Impasse in collective bargaining (b) Impasse procedure since disputed matters were unresolved as both parties were not able to agree on wages.
Therefore, the City of Laurel requested an impasse hearing, in accordance with the Code that was scheduled for April 1, 2024. Both parties were required to submit documentation only on disputed matters at the time of impasse. However, on March 25, 2024 and April 1, 2024, UFCW Local 1994, presented new information that had not been presented at previous negotiation meetings. The City was advised that it was unlawful for the Mayor and City Council to consider new information that was not presented or discussed at or prior to the declaration of impasse.
On April 1, 2024, at the impasse hearing both parties appeared before the Mayor and City Council to present their respective positions on the disputed matters and provide testimony in support of the same. The City of Laurel presented a proposed wage increase (the same as presented at the time of impasse) of 5% to members of the bargaining unit (2.5% market rate adjustment & 2.5% merit step increase); which they felt was financially prudent, fair and equitable considering the employees of the bargaining unit received an 18% salary increase in June 2023. At the time of impasse, the UFCW Local 1994, presented an agreement with a demand for a 9.5% wage increase. The Union’s financial demand would have imposed considerable hardship to the City’s next three (3) budget cycles.
The Mayor and City Council voted at the impasse hearing to approve the City’s proposed wage increase of (2.5% market rate adjustment & 2.5% merit step increase) for employees in the bargaining unit with four (4) favorable votes and one (1) abstention vote from Councilmember Carl DeWalt (Ward 1). Mayor Sydnor concurred with the vote.
On multiple occasions throughout the process, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO along with Councilmember DeWalt and former Councilmember Mitchell expressed their beliefs that the City was slowing the process and took exception with the contracting of Jackson Lewis (the City’s legal Counsel for collective bargaining matters) to negotiate on the City’s behalf. Jackson Lewis is a widely respected law firm that has represented multiple municipalities in collective bargaining negotiations including many of those in Prince George’s County.
The City is happy to be able to move forward and is proud to continue to ensure a well-compensated workforce for the Department of Public Works employees. The City negotiated with good faith and I personally want to thank the City’s bargaining team for their efforts in this negotiation as well as the City Council for exercising fiscal responsibility with taxpayers’ money.
