HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 12-26 Council haggles over pay raises REVIEW Single Copy 3Ot WED., DEC. 26, 1979
Council
oVer pay raises
By MARY LEE HAGERT
IN ADDITION to the eight and one-half
After a very heated debate, the percent salary hike, the supervisors will
Maplewood city council approved 1980 receive a fifth week of vacation after 20
pay increases for part of its staff. years of service, an additional floating
THE COUNCIL voted to boost the non- holiday, 19 cents per mile for use of
union staff's salaries by eight percent for private vehicle and removal of adverse
1980. Members of the supervisors Local disciplinary actions from personal files
No. 1056,AFSCME, AFL-CIO Council 91, after three years.
will receive an eight and one-half percent The non-union personnel (except city
pay increase. manager Barry Evans) will also get an
The city has three staff unions. The additional floating holiday for those who
supervisors local is the only one to have do not presently have two, and a fifth
reached an agreement with the city on its week of vacation after 30 years.
pay raises. Evans pointed out that at the November
The other two unions, the clerical and meeting of the Metropolitan Area
technical local, and the maintenance Managers Association the represen-
group are both asking for more than an tatives from area cities said they an-
eight and one-half percent pay increase ticipated their non-union personnel
for 1980. getting from seven and one-half percent
Mayor John Greavu expressed his to a 10 percent pay raise for 1980,with the
opposition to the pay increases, stating vast majority at eight percent.
they were too high. "I said before that I He also said the two former Corn-
don't like these percentage pay increases prehensive Employment Training Act
for the employees. I'll be damned if you (CETA) positions at the Maplewood
see people getting these kinds of increases Nature Center were included in the 1980
in the private sector." budget, but no salary was established.
Greavu wanted to give all the city IN OTHER ACTION the council ap-
employees a$175 pay raise,regardless of proved the Frost Avenue and Frost
their position on the pay scale or of their Avenue Connection feasibility study.
job responsibilities. After hearing from several members of
Councilmen Earl Nelson, Don Wiegert the audience, the council decided to ap-
and Norman Anderson all argued in favor prove the plat concept by Castle Design
of granting the pay hikes. Councilman and Development Co., Inc. for the Lin-
Burton Murdock was absent. wood Heights Townhouses, east of
Nelson told Greavu that, "We have McKnight Road and north of Linwood
different grades of people with different Avenue.
qualifications. You can't give the lowest The council tabled a special use permit
paid person the same pay increase as the application for the construction of a
highest paid staff member." duplex at Roselawn and Payne Avenues.
Wiegert stated,"With an eight percent This area is zoned for single dwelling
pay increase, these people will be five residential homes. The council placed a
percent behind yesterday at today's in- moratorium on the granting special use
flation rate. Most union contracts have a permits of this type until the staff further
cost of living increase and more." studies the issue.