Impasse Declared In Contract Negotiations Between City, Employees Group

City officials and representatives of the Walnut Creek Employees Association have declared an impasse in their contract negotiations.

Both sides have asked for a state mediator to step in and help resolve the labor dispute.

Last week, the WCEA rejected the city's latest three-year contract offer. The association is the city's largest employee group. It represents 110 workers, including street and parks employees as well as mechanics, open space rangers and administrative support services.

WCEA President Shawn Delaney said the main issue is health care premiums. He said the city is asking employees to pay a percentage of the monthly premiums instead of a percentage of their salaries, like they do now.

Delaney said in some cases, especially for employees with families, the premiums would be six times higher than they are now.

"This would have a major impact on our members who have families," said Delaney. "The leap is too large. We need to figure out a way to do this more incrementally."

On salaries, Delaney said the city is offering a 2.5 percent raise in each of the three years of the contract.

"We don't have an issue with that at all," he said.

The 2.5 percent raises were part of the contract agreement the city reached last month with two other employee groups that represent 80 workers.

Walnut Creek City Manager Ken Nordhoff said city negotiators have met with WCEA representatives 17 times over the past seven months.

"The parties met again on November 14 in a final effort to resolve the issues in dispute," Nordhoff said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the parties were unable to reach agreement. The parties have mutually agreed to the assistance of California State Mediation and Conciliation to help mediate the labor dispute. The city looks forward to resolving the issues in question through the mediation process."

Delaney added WCEA employees and three other employee groups have saved the city $6.3 million over the past four years by agreeing to furloughs and paying the full share of their retirement costs.

In a statement, Delaney also expressed hope the mediation process would work.

“This is not an acrimonious 'us against them' situation. Rather, it’s a matter of all of us working together toward a meaningful conclusion that allows Walnut Creek to continue to provide the services its citizens, businesses and visitors have come to expect,” said Delaney.