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2nd Contract a ‘Breeze’ for Workers in Enid, OK

July 7, 2009

To reach a first contract last year, the employees of the city of Enid, Okla., needed 38 negotiating sessions over 15 months. This year? Three months.

“This time, we didn’t have any opposition to the union,” says Joey Breeze, a maintenance technician in the city’s police department and president of Local 1136. “They’ve accepted that they’re going to have to deal with us.”

The new two-year contract was ratified overwhelmingly last week. It covers approximately 250 non-uniformed workers, including clerical, maintenance, sanitation, road and water employees.

The workers, most of whom earn less than $35,000 annually, won a 3 1/2 percent cost-of-living increase each year. They also get a one-time cash performance bonus, ranging from $250 to $1,250.

The contract also makes clear that oral counseling will no longer be counted as a disciplinary action. There is also a new process for arbitrating written disciplinary actions.

“It’s a good contract, especially for the economic times we’re in,” says Breeze. “We’re in good shape in Enid.”

They are also building more power in the workplace. “They’ve accepted we’re here to stay,” explains Breeze. “Our city manager now understands that it’s easier to work with us than it is to work against us.”

Read more about the contract victory in the The Enid News & Eagle. Also, check out these stories about their first contract win and their battle to build a union with AFSCME.

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