Agenda - Council - 06/12/1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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It further argues that the City is already at its tax leVy limit. The city states in its last paragraph of its' argument prior to "arbitral precedent" on page 6 of its brief, the following: "The wage increases proposed by the city of 3.4% for 1989 and 1990 strike a reasonable balance between the mandate to comply with the Comparable Worth Law, considering internal comparisons as a primary factor in determining compensation, and to also consider traditional variables such as external comparables and market factors. The proposed 3.4% increases are slightly in excess of the 3.0% increases for 1989 and 1990 which were negotiated by the City and the AFSCME bargaining unit. The proposed 3.4% increases are slightly less than the average wage percentage increases for Stanton Group V, top patrol of 3.86% at 3.87% for 1989 and 1990, respectively (see Exhibit 15). All things considered, the 3.4% increase proposed by the City for 1989 and 1990 are more realistic than the increases of 4.5% and 4.0% for 1989 and 1990 proposed by the Union." Discussion by Arbitrator The Union's primary argument was that the determination of any wage increase should be based upon external comparisons with Stanton Group V cities in which the City of Ramsey is included. It noted that its request of 4.5% and 4.0% in 1989 and 1990 respectively, was based upon bringing the rates to in the area of the average for the contract settlements for 1989 and 1990 of the Stanton Group V. Of these settlements the 1989 average of the Stanton Group V was $2,870.82 for 1989 and $2,982.04 for 1990. The Union argues that under Minnesota Statutes' 471.993 of the Minnesota Comparative Worth Law, the market or external comparisons are of as primary importance as the internal 8