Wichita’s city union employees getting raises

City of Wichita employees in a union will be getting a raise, possibly as much as 3.75 percent, in the next two weeks.

The Wichita City Council on Tuesday approved a new negotiated contract with the Service Employees International Union, which represents nearly 900 employees in a variety of departments.

The new contract gives all covered employees a 1.25 percent raise, effective Feb. 27. In addition, employees can receive as much as an extra 2.5 percent in merit increases, at the discretion of management.

Employees will also get an additional 1 percent on Dec. 31 of this year and 2017, plus the possibility of an additional 2.5 percent each year.

The raise package is comparable to what other city workers are getting, officials said.

The union approved the contract Feb. 2.

Other provisions of the three-year labor pact:

▪ Management is able to create new positions and remove positions no longer budgeted.

▪ Union meeting times reduced from a maximum 45 minutes to 30 minutes.

▪ Employees on standby who are called into work will get two hours call-in pay.

▪ A requirement that employees who work a 16-hour double shift in an emergency, usually a major ice-and-snow storm, will have to get at least an eight-hour rest period at the end. They’ll be paid straight time for hours they’re regularly scheduled to work and overtime for hours outside their regular work shift.

▪ The union will have a non-voting representative on the city’s Accident Review Board.

The council approved the contract unanimously with almost no discussion.

In fact, Mayor Jeff Longwell complimented Human Resources Director Chris Bezruki on the brevity of his presentation of the contract, which took about two minutes.

“You’re just trying to move up in rank in our most popular directors, aren’t you?” Longwell said.

“Few words,” Bezruki replied.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Wichita’s city union employees getting raises."