Workers in the Utilities Department of Franklin Park have their first union contract.
On Dec. 1, the Franklin Park Village Board approved a three-year, eight-month contract with an 18-member bargaining unit under the auspices of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 700. The bargaining unit members approved the contract two weeks ago.
Workers began to organize July 2013. Negotiations took place over a nine-month period, with six or seven meetings during that time.
“We were looking for some safety,” said Bill Moroney, union steward. “We also wanted to put in a grievance process. If you got in trouble and were in the right, you didn’t have much to say.”
Under the new contract, employees will have a grievance process, albeit one that is internal rather going out to arbitration.
Employees will receive a 3 percent per-year increase for the next three years and 2.5 percent for the following eight months. The two sides agreed to no strikes and no lockouts.
The village government can lay off employees if necessary and can contract out for some services. There is also a residency requirement for new hires.
“We believe it’s a fair contract for both sides,” said Cary Horvath, who helped negotiate for the village.
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Moroney agreed.
“I think the contract turned out to be a fair contract,” Moroney said.
Teamsters Local 700 has about 10,000 members and focuses on public-sector employees. It represents police officers, drivers with IDOT and workers for the city of Chicago. It also represents nine or ten public works departments across Illinois, though a union spokesman could not specify exactly how many.