City Employees Seek Mediator for Bargaining

About 50 Santa Ana city employees and state workers marched at lunchtime Monday at Civic Center Plaza to protest a lack of progress in contract talks.

Santa Ana employees are asking for a one-year contract with a 10% wage increase, while the city is offering a two-year contract, with pay increases of 4.5% this year and 4% next year. The 761 employees are represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1939 and include all city workers except police, fire and management personnel.

Their contract expired June 30, and local members voted unanimously Monday evening to have negotiations declared at an impasse and to ask that a mediator be brought in to help settle the dispute.

“We want parity with the Police Department,” said Rita Montes, president of the Santa Ana City Employees Assn. “It’s not that we’re not supportive of the police--they have a tough job. But we have tough jobs, too.”

Santa Ana police have also been deadlocked in contract negotiations with the city. The police are asking for an 11.9% increase for officers and a 24% raise for sergeants. The city has offered them the same contract it offered the service employees: 4.5% this year and 4% next year.

City Manager David N. Ream said that the lunchtime rally did not disrupt city business and that resuming negotiations is, at this point, up to the employees association.

“They don’t feel the city is negotiating in good faith,” Ream said. “We, of course, feel that we are.”

State employees are working under a contract that will expire Saturday. Jodee Smith, a representative of the state workers’ local, said an agreement is unlikely before then. The state has offered a 3.5% increase effect Jan. 1, 1988, while the union is asking for an 18-month contract with two 6% raises, effective July 1, 1987 and July 1, 1988.