Belleville City Council approves three-year contract with GELC

At its Feb. 19 regular meeting, the Belleville City Council unanimously approved a three-year GELC union contract starting Jan. 1, 2019. There are 7.5 employees in GELC.
The contract includes:
• Language to comply with the Supreme Court Janus Decision that allows employees not to belong to and pay dues to the union that represents them;
• One day of sick day on the first day of the month;
• Upon completion of their probationary period, new employees shall be entitled to one day for personal business;
• Employees get two personal business days a year;
• Not more than one employee shall be off at a time per department;
• No more than 80 hours of compensatory time in a bank;
• Removal of language that says no employee shall be allowed to take more than 16 hours consecutive at any one time;
• The city shall furnish and pay the premium for life insurance for each employee in the amount of $50,000 (rather than equal to the employee’s base salary as in the past);
• Employees separating during the year shall be paid the stipend to the billing period immediately preceding their separation;
• Wage scale shall be modified so that the current column for year 10 is changed to year 7;
• Each employee shall receive a wage increase of 2.5% for every year of the agreement; and
• Each employee shall receive a $100 signing bonus effective on the first pay period after ratification by both parties.
It was noted the union vote to ratify was not unanimous. The Government Employees Labor Council represents workers in the department of public services, clerical workers at city hall, and a part-time clerical worker in the police department.
In other business at the Feb. 19 meeting, the council:
• Approved a Kiwanis request to sell subscriptions as a fund raiser for the club to place flags in Horizon Park, near the end of Brain Street, on six holidays in the summer for five days each. Don Johnson of the Kiwanis said they figure they could fit in up to 36 flags in that area for subscriptions of $35 a year. They plan to put in one foot of PVC for each flag, left in place all year and capped at ground level so it wouldn’t interfere with mowing;
• Approved the Strawberry Festival’s Responsibility Policy and Administrative Policy, with the wording the same as last year, but with all references to St. Anthony taken out because the church will not be participating in the festival this year;
• Approved the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce placement of festival carnival and rides on the Belleville High School property. There will be no beer tent at St. Anthony and “nothing at all” there, said Chamber Executive Director Paul Henning;
• Heard planning commissioner Mike Renaud complain about the “orange blob” at the end of Main Street that has mold showing outside now and, he’s sure the roof still leaks. “How can you attract anyone with that there?” he asked. City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said the owner of the property, Sam Kassab, had a heart attack, so previous talk of selling that property is being delayed; and
• Went into closed door session to discuss the status and strategy of pending negotiations with the police union.