“Our group was the last within the organization to vote for representation,” White said. “Our goal has always been to secure job protections for both individuals and departments, ensure a fair and livable wage, and create a stable foundation that allows employees to voice concerns and participate in developing better policies and safety protections tailored to the work of each department.
A city representative said it respects employee rights to unionize and it is dedicated to a “professional, collaborative and respectful workplace across all departments.”
“At the end of the day, our purpose is clear: we are here to serve the residents of Springfield. That means delivering high-quality services while ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and maintaining the City’s long-term financial stability,” the city said. “We will continue engaging in good faith and maintaining open lines of communication as we move forward. Our priority remains the continued delivery of reliable, high-quality services to the community while supporting our employees in the important work they perform each day.”
The city last year created a buy-out program to trim its workforce. At the time, City Manager Bryan Heck said the separation agreement would entail a $25,000 payment.
“As we look to right-size our workforce to address current economic conditions and decreased revenues, we’re looking at creative ways to achieve those goals and reducing our workforce while continuing to provide the core services to our residents and business community,” Heck said.
The city’s budget is no longer projected to suffer from a $6.7 million deficit, due to the program and other cuts, Heck wrote in a budget document. There are 561 full-time equivalent employees, according to city documents.
