Elgin workers OK wage freeze to save jobs

Elgin's 120 public works employees and about 20 part-time janitors who clean city-owned facilities have tentatively agreed to a wage freeze in exchange for a promise of no layoffs for this calendar year.

The city council is expected to consider and approve the agreement at its meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

William Potts, the political and legislative director of the SEIU Local 73, said the union members "overwhelmingly" approved the agreement.

Last year, public works employees agreed to a 2.2-percent raise in exchange for the ability to reopen negotiations on wages in 2010.

But with the recession's bite still locked on municipalities and school districts, union members opted for a wage freeze for now.

"It would be very tough for the city to give us raises and very tough for us to accept them," Potts said. "The thinking in our membership is we basically work for the citizens of Elgin. At this time, there's no money. The trade-off is there's some stability. They know they won't be laid off."

The agreement also includes a "me-too" clause that will give public works employees raises of equal percentages if police and firefighters receive raises next year.

The contracts for the police and fire department also expire at the end of 2010, said Gail Cohen, the city's human resources director.

"We only negotiated an increase for one year (in 2009) because of the economy," she said.

Firefighters agreed to give up a substantial amount of overtime pay in exchange for no layoffs; city officials have been hesitant to ask the police union for concessions because, they say, the department is short-handed already.