Zorn on Holiday Pay for City Workers Who Don’t Work Holidays

Eric Zorn poses a question on this Sun-Times story in his blog: The Sun-Times story on the rocky negotiations between the city and the firefighters union notes that one area of contention is Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal that only firefighters who work on holidays be awarded holiday pay: Former union president Bill Kugelman (said)…“ Holiday…

Public Safety Costs & DeKalb’s Financial Health

In last Thursday’s post I shared some preliminary observations about the latest contract between the City of DeKalb and the firefighters’ union. Since then I’ve gotten a little feedback on it behind the scenes. The gist of the response is this: What’s the deal? Does yinn have something against well-compensated public employees? The short answer…

New Contract with DeKalb Firefighters Contains Provision for Automatic Renewals

DeKalb City Council re-did the whole police station discussion last year because the members didn’t want an old council to dictate decisions to the new one. Apparently it’s quite all right to run a labor contract with its firefighters into 2014, though — and maybe even into eternity, as with the city manager’s contract. Check…

Discussion of Unsustainable State Pensions

Prairie State Blue: The Problem with Pensions: Defined benefit plans are not inherently unsustainable. They made sense and were solvent when salaries were lower, payout levels were lower, employees retired later and died earlier. With higher salaries and especially stepped-up pay schedules, earlier retirements, increased longevity, and payouts of up to 75% or higher on…

IAFF Contract to be Voted on Tonight is Not Available for Online Perusal

So get this, the notification of the agenda came out Friday and if you want to take a look at the 70-page contract proposal and tell your alderman what you think of it, you have to somehow squeeze in a visit to the city manager’s office before 6 p.m. this evening. It’s not a part…

Rockford Firefighters Get 6% Pay Raise

An arbitrator awarded a 6% pay raise to Rockford firefighters. City officials said the award will cost taxpayers an estimated $618,000 in 2011 and more than $1.2 million in 2012 when the 6.1 percent wage is in effect for a full year. Arbitrator Robert Perkovich rejected the city’s offer of a 2 percent wage increase…