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No layoffs for City of Miami
Copied this from another thread, but keep in mind that we have to vote on the agreement on Monday for this to go through. There are no budget cuts or touching of pensions mind you 
. I'm just glad that I get to stay with the city 
Miami City Hall, police union leaders reach tentative deal
BY CHARLES RABIN AND DIANA MOSKOVITZ
[email protected]
Miami edged closer to balancing its most contentious budget in a decade Saturday, as the police union and the city tentatively agreed to more than $8 million in cuts needed to help fill a $118 million hole.
The agreement by the police union, which includes giving up the cashing in of unused vacation days and deferring 3 percent raises due in October for six months, will save the jobs of 177 sworn officers.
``I think it was a fair deal,'' Fraternal Order of Police President Armando Aguilar said shortly after signing the agreement Saturday.
Said City Manager Pete Hernandez: ``There is nothing more important than for a city to provide safety.''
Still, several hurdles remain before Miami can completely close a $118 million hole in the mayor's proposed $511.4 million budget. Fire and police union members must still vote on the plans agreed upon by their bosses, and negotiations with the city's general employees were still taking place Saturday afternoon.
CRITICAL TIME
Saturday's announcement came as the city continues to face its most serious budget threat in more than a decade. The tumbling real estate market, less interest earned on assets and a drop in income from fees has left leaders searching for ways to fill a large, but some say, not unexpected gap.
Though the city's three main unions must still vote to approve any deals reached with union leaders, the deal set in motion by police Saturday could go a long way toward balancing the budget.
Under the deal struck Saturday, cuts include:
• No paying unused vacation, saving $3.1 million.
• No new police vehicles, saving $1.7 million.
• Eliminating extra pay on three holidays, saving $1.2 million.
• Defering 3 percent raises for six months, saving $1.29 million.
• No new uniforms, saving $500,000.
• No free physical exams, saving $539,000.
The police union deal filled a big hole in the city's struggle to balance its books, but more is needed.
Immediately after the police deal was struck, City Manager Hernandez was back at the bargaining table with Charlie Cox, chief of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Hernandez hopes the general employees' union will agree to cuts that will save the city $7.8 million.
Saturday's negotiations followed a second budget hearing Thursday night, when frustrated commissioners failed to balance the city's $511.4 million budget. So they gave union leaders more time to iron out deals with the city to fill the $118 million hole in the $511.4 million budget proposed by Mayor Manny Diaz.
The International Association of Firefighters has a tentative agreement in place to eliminate upcoming raises, impose cuts, and restructure salaries. The plan will save the city $15 million. Its members will vote Tuesday morning.
Both AFSCME and the International Association of Firefighters have tentative agreements in place, which include salary cuts.
PUBLIC SNIPING
The Fraternal Order of Police remained the toughest holdout in a feud that had Mayor Diaz and Aguilar sniping at each other in public for weeks.
Throughout the budget process, Diaz has suggested to commissioners, who ultimately set the budget, that $90 million in cuts can come from tiered salary reductions, departmental and service and salary cuts -- moves that have already been implemented for the city's nonunion members.
He has implemented tiered salary reductions for nonunion members which start at 6 percent for the lowest paid workers at $40,000 a year, and increases to 15 percent for the highest earners of more than $250,000 a year.
He's asked for the same salary cuts from the unions, but they refused. The city's three unions make up more than 80 percent of Miami's 3,500 person workforce.
177 POLICE OFFICERS
Diaz's plan had threatened the security of 500 employees, about 15 percent of the city's entire workforce, if the unions don't reach agreements with the city. Fire won't lose many workers, but AFSCME will suffer the most with more than 200 job loses.
But it was the plan to reduce 177 sworn officers from Miami's 1,100-person police force that has, by far, created the most controversy.
The city had already sent letters to about 130 of the least experienced cops on the force thanking them for their service, and saying their jobs will be lost if an agreement isn't reached by months end.
Hundreds of police officers wearing T-shirts that said `1 of 177' flooded City Hall chambers Thursday night to protest management's plan. Some spoke calmly; others more passionately. This year's agreement is not permanent and Aguilar will be back at the bargaining table after the current police contract expires in one year.
. I'm just glad that I get to stay with the city 
Miami City Hall, police union leaders reach tentative deal
BY CHARLES RABIN AND DIANA MOSKOVITZ
[email protected]
Miami edged closer to balancing its most contentious budget in a decade Saturday, as the police union and the city tentatively agreed to more than $8 million in cuts needed to help fill a $118 million hole.
The agreement by the police union, which includes giving up the cashing in of unused vacation days and deferring 3 percent raises due in October for six months, will save the jobs of 177 sworn officers.
``I think it was a fair deal,'' Fraternal Order of Police President Armando Aguilar said shortly after signing the agreement Saturday.
Said City Manager Pete Hernandez: ``There is nothing more important than for a city to provide safety.''
Still, several hurdles remain before Miami can completely close a $118 million hole in the mayor's proposed $511.4 million budget. Fire and police union members must still vote on the plans agreed upon by their bosses, and negotiations with the city's general employees were still taking place Saturday afternoon.
CRITICAL TIME
Saturday's announcement came as the city continues to face its most serious budget threat in more than a decade. The tumbling real estate market, less interest earned on assets and a drop in income from fees has left leaders searching for ways to fill a large, but some say, not unexpected gap.
Though the city's three main unions must still vote to approve any deals reached with union leaders, the deal set in motion by police Saturday could go a long way toward balancing the budget.
Under the deal struck Saturday, cuts include:
• No paying unused vacation, saving $3.1 million.
• No new police vehicles, saving $1.7 million.
• Eliminating extra pay on three holidays, saving $1.2 million.
• Defering 3 percent raises for six months, saving $1.29 million.
• No new uniforms, saving $500,000.
• No free physical exams, saving $539,000.
The police union deal filled a big hole in the city's struggle to balance its books, but more is needed.
Immediately after the police deal was struck, City Manager Hernandez was back at the bargaining table with Charlie Cox, chief of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Hernandez hopes the general employees' union will agree to cuts that will save the city $7.8 million.
Saturday's negotiations followed a second budget hearing Thursday night, when frustrated commissioners failed to balance the city's $511.4 million budget. So they gave union leaders more time to iron out deals with the city to fill the $118 million hole in the $511.4 million budget proposed by Mayor Manny Diaz.
The International Association of Firefighters has a tentative agreement in place to eliminate upcoming raises, impose cuts, and restructure salaries. The plan will save the city $15 million. Its members will vote Tuesday morning.
Both AFSCME and the International Association of Firefighters have tentative agreements in place, which include salary cuts.
PUBLIC SNIPING
The Fraternal Order of Police remained the toughest holdout in a feud that had Mayor Diaz and Aguilar sniping at each other in public for weeks.
Throughout the budget process, Diaz has suggested to commissioners, who ultimately set the budget, that $90 million in cuts can come from tiered salary reductions, departmental and service and salary cuts -- moves that have already been implemented for the city's nonunion members.
He has implemented tiered salary reductions for nonunion members which start at 6 percent for the lowest paid workers at $40,000 a year, and increases to 15 percent for the highest earners of more than $250,000 a year.
He's asked for the same salary cuts from the unions, but they refused. The city's three unions make up more than 80 percent of Miami's 3,500 person workforce.
177 POLICE OFFICERS
Diaz's plan had threatened the security of 500 employees, about 15 percent of the city's entire workforce, if the unions don't reach agreements with the city. Fire won't lose many workers, but AFSCME will suffer the most with more than 200 job loses.
But it was the plan to reduce 177 sworn officers from Miami's 1,100-person police force that has, by far, created the most controversy.
The city had already sent letters to about 130 of the least experienced cops on the force thanking them for their service, and saying their jobs will be lost if an agreement isn't reached by months end.
Hundreds of police officers wearing T-shirts that said `1 of 177' flooded City Hall chambers Thursday night to protest management's plan. Some spoke calmly; others more passionately. This year's agreement is not permanent and Aguilar will be back at the bargaining table after the current police contract expires in one year.
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