A Montgomery County Council woman will introduce legislation that would let the county off the hook for labor agreements it cannot afford. The bill by Councilwoman Valerie Ervin, D-Silver Spring — which has unanimous support from council members — would make the county’s financial situation the main factor in resolving disputes over labor contracts.
In years past, a local arbitrator would rule on impasses between county officials and labor unions without giving additional weight to fiscal downturns.
“I am deeply committed to fairness for county employees,” said Ervin, a former union organizer. “But fairness also requires that the county can afford to honor its labor contracts.”
Ervin said the bill would force unions to negotiate in good faith, knowing that an arbitrator would rule against them if the county couldn’t pay for the agreement.
However, union leaders argue they have hardly been gaming the system.
All non-school employees were furloughed this year, and salaries were frozen. The County Council also refused to pay for so-called phantom costs of living increases promised by County Executive Ike Leggett.
For the last two fiscal years, Leggett has been unable to fund labor agreements in his budget — a major factor in current negotiations with union leaders.
An arbitrator ultimately decides how much the county should pay when the two sides cannot resolve negotiations.
Among current factors affecting the final decision: past contracts, wages for other county employees and those in the region and state, as well as salaries for those in the county’s private sector.
At least one union leader was not pleased with the development.
“That is news to me,” said Gino Renne, president of the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization. “I’m very disappointed in Councilwoman Ervin’s decision to do this behind closed doors.”
But Councilman Phil Andrews, D-Gaithersburg/Rockville, said the legislation “creates a more level playing field.”
“The executive has been hesitant to take issues to arbitration given the results that we’ve had,” he said. “Our ability to pay really should be the foremost consideration.”
