Members of AFSCME Local 1303-112 (Rocky Hill Town Employees) are celebrating a new contract along with multiple lessons they learned about the process of negotiations.
Whether it was soliciting member feedback, creating an inclusive negotiations team comprised of members with a range of seniority, or working closely with their executive board and Council 4 Staff Representative, Patrick Sampson, the collaboration fostered by the union emphasizes how teamwork can lead to big gains for all members.
Over the span of two weeks in November 2024 the union’s negotiations committee and Town administrators “met in the middle” to come to an agreement on their next contract.
“It was the first time since I started working here in 2011 that we did not lose anything,” said Rebecca Parent, Union Vice President and Deputy Tax Collector for Rocky Hill. “I give credit, not only to us, but to the upper management in the town.”
Key benefits the union won for their 24 members include above average wages for four years, switching of their insurance plan to a PPO from HSA, return of longevity pay, and eyeglasses reimbursement. After losing longevity pay a decade ago, the membership was surprised and beyond satisfied to get it back.
“A lot of the unions are losing longevity,” explained Union President Kristin Olzacki-Owen, who works as Administrator of Finance and Operations and has been with the Town for 28 years. “Now, anybody hired past 2015 must wait 10 years, but they now get longevity, which was huge. I think all in all, it was a good contract.”
What guided the work of the committee, and their executive board, was simple, yet not always the easiest to execute: the members and their interests. The union did more than ask members what they wanted before negotiations began, they met with them multiple times to make sure they got it right. Moreover, union leaders were thoughtful that their priority must be to negotiate for all members and not just a select few.
“It was a good teaching experience because people didn't understand and were like, ‘What about me?’,” said Olzacki-Owen. “Well, when you're involved with a group we want the best for the group. It's a team effort”
Parent agreed and noted that this approach was different from past negotiations.
“If you look back at the [previous] contracts, sometimes new hires especially didn't get the benefits that people with seniority got,” said Parent. “So, we didn't want that to happen again. We want everyone to basically get the same. You can't always do that, but it's fair.”
Another powerful and important lesson they learned is that negotiating for all members is not mutually exclusive to pleasing all members.
“It a hard pill for us to swallow that you can’t please everyone,” explained Olzacki-Owen. “A member complained that we didn’t fight for them as an individual, but they didn’t look at the bigger picture or how much everyone gained. You do your best for the team - that was a good education lesson from Patrick and Jody [Barr, Council 4 Executive Director].”
When it comes to measuring the success of a contract, sometimes the wins coincide more with what benefits the union defended or kept versus what was gained. In this case it was a combination of both.
“The biggest thing people tend to forget is we didn't lose anything, we gained,” said Robin Webster, Union Treasurer, who works as Assistant Town Clerk. “There's a lot of things that could have been taken away from us but weren’t. In the end we're benefiting much more now than we did back then.”
Teamwork between members, regardless of seniority, or position within the Town or union, was evident throughout the negotiations process. It was also a rare but significant occurrence between the union and their employer.
“We're lucky that we have an upper management that cares about their employees and made the process smoother,” said Union Secretary, Rita Chhabra. Chhabra works as an Administrative/Office Manager with the Parks and Recreation Department. “[They showed us] you’re not just a number for the Town of Rocky Hill.”
She added, “We feel valued now. Management was great, but also the union had our back. They’re willing to fight for us.”
Pictured are Leaders of AFSCME Local 1303-112 (Rocky Hill Town Employees) after completing negotiations for their new contract. Back Row L-R: Robin Webster (Treasurer), Kristin Olzacki-Owen (President), Hope Mathis (Steward). Front Row L-R: Rita Chhabra (Secretary) and Rebecca Parent (Vice President).
