Commercial Appeal 04/28/06

By Chris Conley
April 28, 2006

As many as 100 unionized city workers expect to be pounding the pavement with picket signs Saturday to protest the city's determination to freeze their wages for two years.

The picketers will be marching between City Hall and the Memphis Marriott Downtown, where many of the attendees of the National Conference of Black Mayors are staying, to make their point.

In a press conference at the Memphis Police Association headquarters Downtown, representatives of all 22 unions that represent city workers expressed frustration with the city's stance.

In his budget address Tuesday, Mayor Willie Herenton criticized the union leadership as "irresponsible" for seeking raises.

"The city unions bent over backwards to compromise, to try to reach a settlement," said Russ Aiken, vice president of the 2,000-member Memphis Police Association.

"It was the administration that simply said 'it's our way or no way.' "
The unions most recently reduced their requests for raises to 1 percent, with the option to re-open negotiations when the city is on firmer financial footing.

Those offers were rejected by negotiators for the city when contract talks ended March 31.

Now, Memphis City Council members will have to form 22 separate impasse committees, composed of three council members each, to resolve the disputes. The panels will then make recommendations to the full council.
Earlier this month, police and fire unions asked for a federal mediator to intervene.

City Atty. Sara Hall informed city officials that city ordinances don't allow for mediators to become involved once there is an impasse.

"We are going to show irresponsible city leaders how we feel come election day," said Terry Oldham, president of the Memphis Firefighters Association.

-- Chris Conley: 529-2595