Councilors to consider collective bargaining policy

D.E. Smoot, Muskogee Phoenix, Okla.
·2 min read

Jun. 25—City councilors will push forward on Monday a policy that would require prior approval of collective bargaining offers before administrators pitch them to those negotiating on behalf of employee unions.

Mayor Marlon Coleman said the policy is necessary in order to "maintain the integrity" of the negotiations and ensure accountability. If the proposal wins final approval on Monday, staff would prepare a policy that "makes it clear that prior to offers being made to collective bargaining units, those offers are approved by council in advance."

"The nine of us that were elected ... have an obligation to be certain that as we deal with our employees at every level ... that we take every opportunity that we can to know what they're being offered," Coleman said. "We must maintain the integrity of the work that they do."

Coleman said there have been times when councilors were unaware of tactics used or offers made by administrators to the city's three employee groups: police, firefighters and non-uniform employees. He said all offers should reflect policies established by city councilors.

"There should not be a situation where councilors don't know what offers are being made during these negotiations," Coleman said. "That's why I believe it's important that we have this policy — that council approves all offers before they are made to the collective bargaining units."

Coleman said he knows of no "heavy-handed tactics" being used during negotiations with the employee unions. There have been concerns in the past.

A decision in 2011 to strip non-uniform employees of their collective bargaining rights in response to a change in state law triggered a public backlash. The 2012 election produced the biggest turnover of Muskogee City Council members in at least two decades.

Non-uniform employees were able to get a new ordinance passed that restored their rights to bargain collectively. It took a little longer than a year for non-uniform employees to reorganize the local AFSCME chapter.