WEST HOLLYWOOD : City Hall Work Force Caught in Labor Dispute : A group of union members seeks to form a new bargaining unit. Union files charges; city won’t take sides.

An increasingly bitter labor dispute is dividing the work force at West Hollywood City Hall.

Last fall 26 members of a union representing about 120 West Hollywood municipal employees petitioned the city to form a new bargaining unit, saying they were dissatisfied with the level of representation offered by union leaders.

The union has responded by filing charges and scheduling hearings this week against the dissident members, arguing that their attempt to form a new bargaining group violates the union constitution. The executive board of the union local could fine or expel members for such violations.

The local has also accused the city of “union-busting” tactics for holding talks with backers of the new group.

The dispute has spilled into the workplace less than three months before a scheduled move to a new City Hall, at 8300 Santa Monica Blvd. Workers on both sides have launched e-mail campaigns to drum up support among colleagues. Some report receiving harassing phone calls and messages at work from anonymous callers. Meetings have deteriorated into shouting matches.

“There’s some hard feelings,” said West Hollywood Assistant City Manager Charlie Makinney, who added that the city is not taking sides in the dispute. “But we’ve made it clear to everybody that regardless of what differences may exist between them, they’re not to bring (the disagreement) into the workplace.”

The dispute started in late September, when a small group of city workers belonging to Local 3339 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a petition to form their own bargaining unit.

These members were unhappy after union negotiators gave up four hours per month of administrative leave in exchange for a 2% raise during recent contract talks. They accused the union of promoting the interests of rank-and-file employees such as clerks and receptionists at the expense of “professional” workers, or those with a higher degree of education and responsibility.

Ray Riley, chief steward of the union and a technical assistant in the city manager’s office, filed charges in November against members backing the new bargaining unit.

“You don’t bust a union from within when you’ve already got a union and a democratic process,” Riley said.

An election to determine whether to recognize the new bargaining unit has been delayed while the union seeks arbitration and mediation with the city over several issues.