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<br />Item No: 08C <br />Meeting Date: Oct 25, 2010 <br />Type of Business: Consent <br />Administrator Review : ____ <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br />To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: James Ericson, City Administrator <br />Item Title/Subject: Resolution 7687 Approving a One-Year Labor Contract with <br />Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc. (LELS ) Local No. <br />204 <br /> <br />Introduction: <br /> <br />The City and LELS No. 204 (patrol officers) began negotiations for the 2010-2011 labor <br />agreement in May of 2009. The two parties eventually reached an impasse in negotiations <br />and scheduled a mediation session. The mediation did not result in a settled contract thus <br />arbitration was scheduled. The binding arbitration was held in August of 2010 with the <br />arbitrator’s decision released on September 29, 2010. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />The issues that were certified for arbitration included the following: <br /> <br />1. Contract duration <br />2. Wages <br />3. Health Insurance contribution <br />4. Comp Time Balance <br /> <br />With regard to contract duration, the City desired a two-year contract which would be <br />consistent with the other labor agreement signed and would be consistent with past <br />practice. The union sought a one year agreement. The arbitrator ruled in favor of the <br />union, granting a one year contract. <br /> <br />As for wages, the union was seeking a 2% wage increase across-the-board for 2010, while <br />the City, citing difficult economic times, reduced revenues and budget shortfalls, was not <br />offering a wage increase. The arbitrator ruled in favor of the City on this issue. <br /> <br />Regarding the comp time balance, the 2008-2009 contract allows members to accrue and <br />carry-over a comp time balance of 52 hours. The union was seeking a 60-hour balance. <br />The City was amenable to this provision, thus it was removed from consideration by the <br />arbitrator. <br /> <br />The final issue then concerned the monthly health insurance contribution. The City had <br />offered a $10 increase in 2010. The 2009 rate was $832.20, the contribution would <br />increase to $842.20 in 2010. The City’s position was (and is) that it cannot continue to <br />fund the cost of health care premium increases. The union had desired a monthly <br />contribution of $867.33, which is the monthly premium for a family HSA plan.