St. Charles budget talks result in bad blood

A mutiny is afoot in St. Charles as attempts to address a bad news budget have created bad blood between public works employees and Mayor Don DeWitte.

St. Charles administrators recently pitched a citywide wage freeze and a pay cut via six unpaid days off for hourly employees to shrink an expected budget deficit in the next fiscal year beginning May 1.

That set off a heated negotiation between public works employees and city management.

The wage freeze itself wasn't as big of an issue as the proposed furlough days. Many department heads would have been excluded from the unpaid time off and resulting pocketbook pain.

In addition, many public works employees submitted a slew of suggestions about ways to cut costs beyond what is called for in the budget in hopes of reducing the need for the wage freeze.

The employees, represented by Teamsters Local 330, believed those suggestions have fallen on deaf ears so far. The inequity of the furloughs, combined with the frustration of the negotiations, have soured relations with incumbent Mayor Don DeWitte, said James Olszewski, a business agent/trustee with the union.

Furlough days and potential layoffs are off the table and will no longer be part of the budget. In trade, the union has agreed to accept the proposed wage freeze.

But the union has not yet secured a written promise that the city won't simply cut employee hours and sneak the impact of the furlough days in through the back door.

Public works employees had planned to picket city hall on Monday, but called it off believing a breakthrough could still occur. Now all that remains is bad blood.

"The employees have lost confidence in Mayor DeWitte," Olszewski said. "With someone else we believe we could've gotten similar results a lot sooner and a lot smoother."

As a result, public works employees are endorsing Jotham Stein for mayor during a rally at 4 p.m. today in Lincoln Park on West Main Street.

DeWitte said all the negotiations were conducted with the best interests of residents and the city in mind and an honest give-and-take.

"I don't work for the Teamsters," DeWitte said. "I work for the city and the residents. I am first the mayor. I am second a candidate for the office of mayor. Since the majority of public works employees don't even live in St. Charles, I would question the level of merit the endorsement they're offering Mr. Stein."

Budget: Employees upset over furlough days