Atlanta City Employees Say Mayor’s Pay Raise Proposal Not Good Enough

May 20th, 2013

Some city of Atlanta employees say they deserve a far heftier pay raise than what Mayor Kasim Reed is currently proposing.

“They should come up with more. We’ve been doing our jobs,” said Dester Thernton, who helps maintain city traffic lights and signage.

He says after taking a five percent pay cut in 2011 as part of the pension overhaul, the city owes employees a better deal.

“I’ve been with the city ten years and I haven’t gotten [a pay raise] yet,” said Thernton.

In a written statement, Reed said his $2.8 million proposal ensures employees are getting “fair and competitive compensation.” Currently, about 3,000 classified city workers would get a three percent pay bump. Classified employees are covered by civil service protections and earn a maximum of $61,000. Remaining employees, including police and firefighters, with a salary of $60,000 or below would get a one percent increase.

Gina Pagnotta-Murphy, union head of the Professional Association of City Employees (PACE), says she considers the mayor’s proposal an initial offer, one far from final.

“These employees sacrificed to save the pension [fund] to bring the city out of the red and into the black so we’re overdue a substantial increase,” said Pagnotta-Murphy.

The mayor’s office argues the $2.8 million proposal is more than fair, given still declining city revenues.

But Pagnotta-Murphy is seeking roughly double that, or at least a promise of higher salaries in subsequent years.

She says the current offer falls far short.

“Could we live with it? Yea, we have no choice to live with it. Is that what we want? No, that’s not what we want. Did we want to give up five percent to save our pensions? No, we didn’t want to do it.”

Pagnotta-Murphy, who is quick to note the mayor has been negotiating in good faith, says the city can afford to dip into its now substantial reserve fund, which she argues was built on the backs of employees.

Union reps and the mayor are expected to meet again this week. The budget must be passed by July 1.