OMA Negotiations Update: Nov. 21, 2023
Dear OMA member,
As you know, OMA and the City have been in MOU negotiations since the end of September. We have made significant progress at the table in the past few weeks, but many challenges remain. The OMA Negotiations Team wants to provide you with an update and explain potential next steps.
Negotiations Update: Nov. 21, 2023
OMA began negotiations Sept. 28 by providing the City with our first proposal. Our initial proposal was guided by the priorities identified in the OMA negotiations survey and drafted by your OMA Negotiations Team, with assistance from the professional OCEA staff. The core elements of our proposal include base building wages, managing healthcare and costs, and protecting our retirement security. OMA members also expressed a strong desire to complete negotiations on time, unlike many previous cycles.
The City presented OMA with their counter proposal at our second session on October 12. During that session, the City spokesperson echoed many of the economic and financial concerns that were addressed during the City’s General Fund Financial Forecast (“GFFF”) meeting that took place Oct. 3rd. At the GFFF meeting, the City painted a dire economic picture for the City's finances. The City Council discussed several options including increasing sales tax, TOT tax, and finding additional ways to increase revenue streams. You can view the GFFF meeting by clicking here.
At the second session, the City’s lead negotiator indicated the City is looking for a short-term contract due to its economic uncertainty. The City also proposed a huge concession that would impact the majority of our membership. While we acknowledged the City’s financial forecast, we believe that these challenges should not be solved on the backs of our members, especially when the City has not yet explored other options. Your OMA team told the City that WE WOULD NOT AGREE TO AN MOU THAT HURTS OMA MEMBERS!
During the third negotiations session, OMA and the City reiterated their positions. Your OMA team made it clear that "this contract MUST recognize the work and sacrifices our members made in the last contract, and in years prior. The City must work to find ways to bring in new revenue if they expect to keep the quality workforce Orange residents have come to expect in their community." Make no mistake, your OMA team hammered the City about the consequences of not investing in its workforce!
At our fourth negotiations session, the City made movement on wages, but still insisted that OMA workers make significant concessions related to retirement costs. As we told them before, and we will continue to say, WE WOULD NOT AGREE TO AN MOU THAT HURTS OMA MEMBERS!
We are at a crucial point in negotiations. The City is offering a short-term contract. Your OMA team has expressed interest in a short-term deal, but ONLY if it has meaningful base-building wages and does not have any takeaways. On November 28th, the City’s lead negotiator will provide the City Council with an update and receive additional guidance. The OMA team will meet with the City again on Thursday, November 30th. Be on the lookout for notice of a membership meeting to discuss the next steps.
What Could Come Next
Our next steps will be contingent on the direction the City Council provides to their negotiations team. If the City meets our demand for a contract that includes quality base-building wages WITHOUT any takeaways, we should be on track to bring a tentative agreement to the membership for review and ratification. However, if the City continues to devalue OMA workers and push takeaways, we will be asking OMA members to prepare to take action, which will include attending a City Council meeting and/or speaking during public comment.
We know that it has been a challenging couple of months. Know that your OMA negotiations team is fighting for every OMA member. Thank you for all you do, and Happy Thanksgiving.
In Solidarity,
Your OMA Negotiations Team
President Stephen Mann (Building Inspections
Vice President Lisa Tamburelli (Community Services
Treasurer Lisa Aduna (Finance)
Member at Large Dwight Gish (Public Works
OCEA Senior Labor Relations Representative Michelle Rubio
OCEA Labor Relations Specialist Louie Gurrola
P.S. … If you need more information on the negotiations process, please check out the resources below!
OCEA University: Negotiations 101 - YouTube
OCEA University: MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) 101 - YouTube
OCEA University: Contract Ratification 101 - YouTube
Publication Date: November 21, 2023