For Immediate Release: 6/17/2011 1:16 pm
Worcester, MA (June 17, 2011) - The City Manager and the Worcester Clerks Association reached a memorandum of agreement on a three-year term spanning FY2011, FY2012 and FY2013 earlier this week. The agreement reflects both parties’ collective desire to preserve eight (8) union member jobs and their valued services to our community. The settlement embodies these goals through a balance of fair wages and employee health benefit changes to allow the City to adapt to these difficult economic times.
The highlights of the memorandum of agreement are as follows:
"Union President James O'Leary and the Executive Board of the Worcester Clerks Association must be commended for their efforts here," said City Manager O’Brien. "They are solid, tough negotiators on behalf of their members, but what I found even more refreshing was that they were able to do so while concurrently exhibiting thoughtfulness, understanding and respect.
"They set a tremendous, positive tone with how they handled themselves, reversing the unnecessary contentious and adversarial posturing of their previous representation. I am grateful and I am very pleased we were able to reach this agreement, preserving jobs and services," he added.
The memorandum of agreement was ratified overwhelmingly by a vote of the membership on June 16, 2011. All City Unions have now agreed to fair and balanced wages and benefits, inclusive of the GIC-like employee health care plans, through collective bargaining contracts that span through June 30, 2013.
"The Worcester Clerks Association members are the lifeblood of our line administrative functions in City government. I hold them all in high regard. We can now collectively focus on the work at hand, serving the citizens of Worcester."
