Bargaining Update: Priorities, Mediation, and Worker Wednesdays

LiUNA Workers at City Hall

What We're Fighting For
As we enter the next phase of contract negotiations, our priorities are clear. At the top of our list is protecting our Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) because if our wages don't keep pace with rising costs, we're taking a pay cut. But we're not stopping there. We want financial accountability from the City that prioritizes spending on essential work instead of management pet projects, outside contractors, and unnecessary City expenditures. If the City has money for billionaire handouts, they sure have money for their frontline workers. Beyond pay, we're pushing for more protection for our rights in the workplace. This includes fair overtime opportunities, more control over schedules, clear pathways for upgrade or promotion, real penalties for management violations, and fair treatment for all workers under the contract. Our guiding principles are simple: the wages you need, stronger rights on the job, and a contract that holds management accountable. That's what we fight for every time we sit down with the City.

Bargaining Schedule
Our next bargaining session with the City is this Wednesday, August 19th, followed by another on Thursday, August 27th. Then, on September 22nd, we'll sit down for our first state mediation session. Mediation is a critical tool to push management toward a deal and a necessary legal step on the path to a possible strike. All proposals that come from bargaining will be updated on our PCL Bargaining Page. We strongly encourage you to visit that page, where we've already posted proposals to date, including articles on overtime, premiums, schedules, and layoffs. More is coming from these upcoming sessions, including our overall wage proposal, built directly from comparables provided by you, our frontline workers. These meetings are where we negotiate a deal, but the deal we get depends on you and the pressure we all put on the City. Stay informed, stay engaged, because what happens at the table depends on it.

Worker Wednesdays
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our Union T-shirt day last Wednesday. Our presence downtown and throughout the City was felt by management. Now we want to keep that pressure going. Every Wednesday from now until we have a contract will be Worker Wednesday. We're asking all employees to wear union gear shirts, pins, hats, or anything that shows our colors on the job. Visible Union pride isn't just for morale, it's leverage. When management sees a workforce that moves as one, they take our demands more seriously at the table. If you need a shirt or any other union wearables, reach out to your stewards or staff today. Let's make every Wednesday a show of strength until we win the contract we deserve.

Union Workers Lunch Rally at City Hall