Columbia City Council reviews union agreement, reps ask for paid family leave; Council approves SRO contract with CPS

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia City Council reviewed its collective bargaining agreement with the Laborers' International Union of North America, Local 955 for a four-year labor contract at it's Monday night meeting.

The two groups have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract that requires the city's approval, according to a City Council memo.

The memo states that the city's management representatives, along with LiUNA representatives, including employee bargaining committee members, all participated in the renegotiation of the collective bargaining agreement that is set to expire at the end of the month.

The new agreement will run from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2027.

The agreement includes the following:

• Rest periods:
  • With the exception of bus drivers and lead bus drivers, employees with at least an eight-hour shift will be given two 15-minute rest periods with pay during a normal work shift.
  • One will be given in the first half of the shift, the other will be given the second half of the shift.
  • Employees regularly scheduled to work 10 hours will get a third 15-minute break.

• Steward representation:
  • The union may appoint four stewards in solid waste.
  • The union may appoint two stewards in the following work units:
    • Street maintenance and cleaning
    • Wastewater treatment and sewer/stormwater maintenance operations
    • Transit
    • Parks and recreation
    • Fleet operations
  • The union may appoint one steward in the following work units:
    • Airport
    • Building maintenance
    • Parking.

• Overtime pay:
  • Will be paid for all hours worked in a work week.

LiUNA representative Andrew Hutchinson spoke at the meeting to push for paid family leave.

"You want to build a culture that encourages lifetime careers at the city," Hutchinson said. "We need 12 weeks full wage replacement, inclusive family definition....Making sure that this paid family leave extends towards not just the adoption or fostering or having a child, but also for caregiving of spouses and family members with serious medical conditions."

The city is also approved its contract with Columbia Public Schools for school resource officers. The school resource officer contract would put four officers in schools -- two at Battle High School and one apiece at Rock Bridge and Hickman High Schools.

The city and CPS would share the cost.