Boca Raton Union Workers Call for Bonuses, Reopening of Contract Talks

Chuck Ridley, political coordinator with SEIU, addresses the Boca Raton city council, Nov. 19, 2024. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Boca Raton city employees represented by the Service Employees International Union this week called on city officials to open discussions on a lump sum bonus payment or salary increase despite being poised to begin negotiations on a new contract later this year. The employees, primarily blue collar workers who perform landscaping, maintenance and similar occupations within city government, made the request after non-union employees received a bonus in the fiscal year 2024-25 budget.

“We know that is not your practice, but we know it can become your practice,” said Chuck Ridley, an SEIU Political Coordinator. “We just want to sit down and have a conversation with the city manager to see if there is some way to reach an agreement. We want our members to know that this city is willing, regardless of what is in front of us, to make sure they are whole, they are valued.”

The request for a lump sum bonus payment equivalent to a percentage of an employee’s salary is not simple, officials said, as union employees collectively bargained their current contract in 2022 and approved it by a 92.7 percent margin. The contract included raises of at least 3.75 percent annually or a minimum of $3,500 per year – whichever is greater – according to City Manager George Brown. The average raise earned by an SEIU employee has been 6.04 percent as a result of the current contract and the highest earners garnered 9 percent salary increases.

Non-union employees – generally white collar and administrative workers – do not work under the protection of a union contract and have their salaries set through the annual budgeting process undertaken by the city. In September, as the 2024-25 budget was being cobbled together by officials, non-union staff received a one-time bonus of either 4 percent of their salary of at least $3,200 – whichever was higher – to be paid in a lump sum. The non-union staff received a base wage increase of 4.5 percent or at least $3,600.

“Nothing against other employees getting the one-time bonus, but we want the same for our members,” said Irwin Cineus, a city employee who serves as a lead organizer with SEIU. “We’re talking about one of the wealthiest cities in the nation – well kept, beautiful, and it’s because of the workers. We know we have your respect, but actions speak louder than words.”

Brown said his office would provide a written response to the union members, about a dozen of whom spoke between this week’s council meeting and the governing body’s previous meeting Nov. 4. While the city has occasionally proffered a one-time memorandum of understanding with unions on work issues, most recently the addition of the day after Thanksgiving as a paid holiday, salaries and direct compensation are negotiated collectively to encompass raises over the course of several years, Brown said. Some officials expressed concern that reopening talks on compensation outside of regular contract negotiations could set a precedent or pit groups of employees – unionized or not – against each other.

Boca Raton’s SEIU contract expires in 2025 with negotiations on a new contract likely to begin this summer. Non-union employees, by contrast, are not guaranteed raises or bonuses on an annual basis and compensation issues are generally hammered out during the process of developing the city’s annual operating budget.

“The employees who received the bonus are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement,” said Brown. “They are not union employees. The SEIU employees are currently under a three-year agreement that lays out the wages for that time period.”

The framework for future raises or a bonus program “will be addressed through a compensation study that will include the input of members,” he added.

“Collective bargaining is the place for a discussion of wages,” Brown reiterated. “It should not be bargained from time-to-time.”

The city manager said he is willing to meet with union representatives, however he pledged to stand firm on the issue of reopening discussions on compensation outside of the formal process.

Union members said their concerns extend beyond salaries.

“I just wanted to be valued as a faithful employee,” said employee James Garner. “I love what I do – I’ve worked through hurricanes, tornadoes, through it all.”

Councilman Andy Thomson openly expressed his support for reopening talks with the union following the discussion.

“We should address this discrepancy now,” he said. “[Future negotiations] are for a contract that doesn’t start until the end of next year. We can do it, we should do it, and I suggest we should direct staff to do it. I believe the action here matters more than words.”

Mayor Scott Singer, however, favored keeping the formal negotiation process in place.

“I understand the feeling that some of you may have,” he said, addressing the workers. “It’s not a matter of not valuing versus valuing. We can value someone and, at every company, people want more in compensation and wages.”

City Attorney Joshua Koehler expressed his own note of caution on reopening discussions on a contract before its completion.

“There is an agreed-upon mechanism to have a collective bargaining process,” he said.

Brown, for his part, noted that union officials will doubtlessly make their case for higher compensation as part of the upcoming negotiating term, though he is willing to sit down with representatives earlier.

“I’m happy to meet, but clearly the meeting is about something I don’t believe we should do outside the collective bargaining process,” he said.