Monday, October 13, 1975
University Dally Kansan
Collective bargaining
From page one
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the coalition consists of 45 of 64 fire department employees, 40 of 43 sanitation employees, 54 of 64 police department employees, and 8 of 42 correctional employees, which constitutes a majority.
Smith said the coalition also had been negotiating with secretaries in city hall and state government.
"Open misuse means the strength of the contempt," he said. "Nobody dictates to anyone."
Forer said everyone was treated equally in the coalition.
Phil Bollander, secretary for the sanitation association, said that although the coalition was asking for joint recognition, it is not in the coalition would run its own affairs.
Each city department has different problems, he said.
Bohlander said no way existed to ensure that sanitation workers could retain their jobs if a private contractor came into Lawrence. Although the city has inducted a new workforce, a private contract, a private contractor can demand that prospective employees take a physical.
SANITATION WORKERS have an immediate problem. In one week city commissioners will decide whether to accept bids from private sanitation contractors. The sanitation association opposes private contractors.
Some men who have worked here for
years might not pass a physical, Bohlander said and they need job security.
Smith said that if the city accepted a private sanitation contract, the sanitation workers would be dropped from the city to find another means of representation.
"If the city signs a contract with any outside organization, the Teamsters will come to town," Smith said. "If the Teamsters come to town they will take everything."
Smith said international Brotherhood of Teammaster officials in Kansas City, Kan., had told him they were not going to present as a means of getting control of all the work force in Lawrence.
Earl Eslars, president of the street employees association, said that if the coalfield's efforts to provide a park and recreation department also would join the Teamsters.
THE CITY WOULD HAVE A BATTLE on the land, he said, because teamsters on the streets were demanding.
Clark said he didn't want the Teamsters to come into Lawrence. He said consideration of the Teamsters would rank high in his decision whether to accept a private sanitation contractor, and ultimately in his decision whether to accept the coalition.
More than anything, the coalition wants the city to understand the poor safety condition.
Smith said sanitation employees often had
to use unsafe traps. Most of them are so old and in such bad condition that three or four break down every week, he said. So far all the trucks have two extra lights on the back of the trucks.
"Most of the lights don't even work," he said.
Silvers said the city didn't bother to do anything about the street department's staff, which is now in charge.
SMITH SAID THE INJURY RATE in the sanitation department was 100 per cent. Each employee in the department is injured at least once each year.
The coalition is trying to stress safety and efficiency, he said. It doesn't want to wait until the police report or the public's attention. The coalition is also in the public's interest, he said. Inefficiency costs
Morale also appears to be low in the police department.
Officer David Reavis, a member of the police officers association, said the Lawrence police department was like a training program for police officers.
Officer Kermeth Coults, another member, said that last year the Lawrence police defense department released a report.
"We're not losing them to other jobs in town," he said. "We're losing them to the highway patrol, Kansas City and other towns."
MOST OF THESE MEN have had about 10 years of training. They are just starting to become good policemen.
Reavis said a main morale problem was workman's compensation. If a policeman is injured on the job, he doesn't receive workman's compensation for seven days. if he is absent during those first seven days he has to be paid. In addition, if sick leave not get paid. The city makes no other provisions for policemen who are injured on the job, he said.
Officer Renee Suit, a member of the police officer association, said some of the rules in the police department were ridiculous.
For example, she said, if a guy got shot and bled on his uniform, he would have to wash it and probably sew up the bullet hole.
Samuel's said the firemen were concerned because they often put in overtime and were on call at all hours of the night, without receiving compensation.
Firemen have problems too.
Many of the problems in the fire department are like the ones in the police department, he said. The fire department is keeping employees more than four years.
"We train them, and somebody else gets them," he said.
FORIED SAYING COMPLIANTS were only part of what the coal"...hoped to solve.
But that was not true.
By recognition, Forer said, he means 'getting Lawrence residents and city commissioners to realize that city employees are people.
Bohlander said he was tired of "the poor working man idea."
"Garbage men are not lower than other people," he said. "We want people to recognize that our work is a profession also. We want to give professional service."
Forer said there was a myth that municipal employment was soft and secure. Layoffs all over the country have proven that municipal employment isn't secure, he said. "That's not true. Employees are 300 per cent higher than the industrial rate, which proves it isn't safe."
Smith said it had been a battle to get as far as the coalition had. He said city employees weren't allowed to talk directly to the city commission about their jobs.
City Manager Buford Watson said that in the city manager form of local government, city employees were supposed to solve their problems not by levels, not by talking to city commissioners.
"IF YOU WORK FOR GENERAL directors," he didn't talk to the board of directors, his team.
Watson said he didn't think it would be appropriate to ask him what he was in favor of. "He is not interested," Watson said.
ployes were given a fair chance to solve their problems in the city government.
"There is nobody we can't get along without," he said.
Forer said he understood the city manager's position.
"The problem here is to balance the right of free speech without limiting or circumventing the authority of the city manager," Forer said.
Clark said the commission shouldn't have to hear every employee grievance. He said it should take too much time, and the city committee must also expertise to handle all employee complaints.
The sanitation workers did a good job of presenting their case to the city, he said. He thought there was a good chance the city could work out its sanitation problems without bringing in a private contractor. Clark said that although he had been in favor of a private contractor originally, he was leaning more to the present system.
HE SAID IT WOULD be a couple of weeks before the commission decided whether to
Smith said the decision had to be made soon. The workers don't want to go through the whole process with another commission, he said.
"Besides," he said, "if it doesn't work out, we can change it next year."
Staff Photo
Bargaining
association. The group hopes to be recognized by the Lawrence City Commission. Foresee the association is completely different from what the group wants to do.
Norm Forer, associate professor of social welfare (second in counter terrorism rotation) discusses the fate of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
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