[Press Conference: "2024 HOPE Meet & Confer Agreement"]
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I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY OF A NEW CONTRACT FOR OUR NEGOTIATING GROUP, HOPE ON BEHALF OF CITY EMPLOYEES, I'M PLEASED TO HAVE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF A-F-L-C-O FOR HARRIS COUNTY NEY.
AND, UH, SO REALLY, REALLY EXCITING DAY TO GET A SETTLEMENT ON A NEW CONTRACT THAT TREATS, UH, ALL HOUSTONIANS FAIR, BUT PARTICULARLY EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE THAT OUR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES PLAY IN THIS GREAT CITY.
UH, I OFTEN TALK ABOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND OFTEN PEOPLE THINK WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT POLICE AND FIRE.
NO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CITY MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES THAT I'M SURROUNDED WITH TODAY, WHETHER IT'S SOLID WASTE, HUMAN RESOURCES, PARKS, I COULD GO ON AND ON.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES MAKE THIS CITY GREAT.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY MAKE US SAFE.
THEY WORK 24 7 DURING THE STORMS. OUR, UH, WATER DEPARTMENT, THEY KEEP OUR TREATMENT PLANT GOING, MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE DON'T LOSE WATER PRESSURE AND GO TO A BOIL WATER REQUEST OR SCENARIO.
SO I COULD GO ON AND ON AND SPEND HOW IMPORTANT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES ARE.
AND HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY ALL CITY EMPLOYEES WILL SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF HOPE IN WHAT A REAL NEGOTIATING TEAM CAN GET DONE WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
YOU KNOW, I CAN GO ON AND ON ABOUT HOW CITY EMPLOYEES SINCE AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN AROUND, EVEN BEFORE I WAS ELECTED, WERE OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID.
AND YES, WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER, BUT TODAY WE'RE ANNOUNCING A AGREEMENT THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OUR CITY.
EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES STILL WANNA DO MORE, STILL WANT TO IMPROVE WORKING CONDITIONS.
CITY FACILITIES HAVE NOT BEEN KEPT IN WORKING CONDITIONS, A LOT OF NEGLECT, LEAKING ROOFS, FAILURE OF BACKUP POWER, I COULD GO ON AND ON, PAYS IMPORTANT WORKING CONDITION, CUT OUT BULLYING, WON'T BE TOLERATED IN MY ADMINISTRATION.
ALL THIS GOES TO HAVING A WORKFORCE THAT IS MOTIVATED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS.
I CAN GO INTO THE PARTICULARS OF THE SETTLEMENT.
OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST YEAR YOU'LL GET 160 $16 BIWEEKLY INCREASE, OR 1675 AN HOUR, THREE AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASES THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
THIS IS A THREE YEAR CONTRACT FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
YOU'LL ALSO INCLUDE ITEMS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN PROVIDED TO MUNICIPAL AND WORKERS, AS WE HAVE PROVIDED FOR OUR OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS, SUCH AS BILINGUAL PAY, SUCH AS LONGEVITY PAY.
WE'RE GONNA ALLOW THE SENIORS THAT RETIRE TO HAVE THEIR HEALTHCARE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A WORKING ENVIRONMENT WHERE CITY EMPLOYEES KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE AND THAT CERTAINLY JOHN WHITMEYER AND HIS ADMINISTRATION APPRECIATES IT.
AND LET ME EMPHASIZE, I JUST MENTIONED MY NAME, JUST FILL IN MY NAME WITH HOUSTONIANS, I REPRESENT HOUSTONIANS.
I KNOW HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYEES.
I HAVE TOLD PEOPLE ACROSS THIS CITY, SOLID WASTE WORK SIX DAYS A WEEK, 18 HOURS A DAY.
FLEET MAINTENANCE KEEPS THE VEHICLES OPERATING HEALTH DEPARTMENT HELPS US DURING COVID.
I COULD GO ON AND ON HOUSTONIANS, UNDERSTAND THAT, APPRECIATE IT, AND I'M REPRESENTING THEM TODAY.
THE PROCESS WILL BE THAT THE AGREEMENT WILL BE APPROVED BY HOPE.
IT'LL THEN GO TO THE LABOR COMMITTEE OF CITY COUNCIL AND THEN WE'LL TAKE IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I RAN FOR MAYOR.
I WANT CITY EMPLOYEES TO BE RECOGNIZED AS OUR HEROES, THAT THEY ARE DURING NORMAL TIMES, BUT PARTICULARLY DURING THE STORMS. THEY HELP US GET THROUGH THOSE SCARY MOMENTS.
THEY GO TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER, THE 9 1 1 RECEPTIONIST WORK AROUND THE CLOCK.
THEY'VE GOT FAMILIES THAT THEY'VE HAD TO LEAVE.
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HAVE HOMES THAT ARE DAMAGED.SO WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY? EXCEPT IT'S A GOOD DAY FOR ALL OF HOUSTON.
THESE WORKERS ARE HERE AND I'LL ASK THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO EXPRESS THE BENEFITS AND HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF BENEFITS THAT THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
BEEN TRYING TO GET LONGEVITY PAID FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
I CAN'T, ODD ENOUGH SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE LABOR COUNCIL, CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL REPRESENTING ALL THE WORKING A-F-L-C-I-O MEMBERS IN THIS COUNTY.
I AM PROUD TO PARTNER WITH A-F-L-C-I-O TO SEE THAT WORKING PEOPLE ACROSS THIS COUNTY AND THIS CITY ARE RECOGNIZED.
WE'VE GOT SO MUCH LEFT TO DO IN TERMS OF WORKING CONDITION SAFETY, AND ANY MAJOR PROJECT THAT I GO INTO WILL BE, WILL INCLUDE ORGANIZED LABOR.
WITH THAT SAID, UH, HANNI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK OR SONYA, YOU CALL IT UP FROM HERE, I'VE DONE MY PART.
I'VE GOT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ADMINISTRATION HERE, FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES, THAT PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MS. CHEEKS AND MELISSA, MS. UH, LISA FRANKLIN BROCKS.
IT STALLED OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
I HEARD FROM SONYA MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT, UH, I RAN, I'M DOING RIGHT BY CITY EMPLOYEES AND, UH, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
SO THANK YOU TO THE PRESS FOR BEING HERE AND DOING YOUR JOB, AND I WILL YIELD TO SONYA AT THIS TIME.
MY NAME IS SONYA RICO AND I'M THE PRESIDENT FOR HOPE LOCAL 1, 2 3.
BEHIND ME IS MY PART OF MY NEGOTIATION TEAM.
UM, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR BIG WINS, UM, WHEN WE WENT INTO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE, WE SAID THE BEST IS YET TO COME AND IT CAME TRUE FOR US.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE SOME OF THE BIG WINS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE SENATE AGREEMENT SO FAR.
AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'VE INCREASED THE LONGEVITY PAY, BILINGUAL PAY SHIFT, DIFFERENTIAL PAY.
WE ALSO INCREASE THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MINIMUM WAGE.
THE FIRST YEAR WILL BE 1675, STARTING IN NOVEMBER.
THE SECOND YEAR IS 1725, AND THE THIRD YEAR WILL BE $18.
THESE EMPLOYEES INCLUDE SOME OF OUR HARDEST WORKERS, SUCH AS OUR JANITORIAL STAFF IN THE AIRPORTS AND OUR PARK MAINTENANCE CREWS, JUST TO NAME A FEW.
WE HAVE ADDED A HOLIDAY PAY ON FOUR PREMIUM HOLIDAYS, WHICH WE PAID AT DOUBLE TIME EMERGENCY ACTIVATION AND SPECIAL EVENTS WE PAID AT DOUBLE TIME.
AFTER 40 HOURS CALLBACK WILL BE PAID AT FOUR HOURS AT THE EXPECTED PAY RATE.
THE COMP TIME CAMP GRADES WERE INCREASED FOR PAY GRADES 26 THROUGH 29.
IF YOU WORK SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN A ROW, THE LAST DAY WILL BE PAID IN DOUBLE TIME, MUST BE IN THE SAME PAY WEEK.
ALL OF THAT IS IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE NORMALLY GET IS JUST OUR ACROSS THE BOARD RAISES.
SO THAT ALONE IS A BIG CHANGE IN OUR CONTRACT THIS YEAR.
FOR EVERYBODY ELSE THAT IS OVER THE MINIMUM WAGE, WE'RE GETTING THE ONE 16 BIWEEKLY STARTING THE SECOND PAYCHECK IN NOVEMBER, UP UNTIL JUNE OF 2025.
THEN IT'LL BE 3.5% THE SECOND YEAR AND 3.5 FOR THE THIRD YEAR.
WE NOW HAVE A 10 HOUR REST ROLL IN OUR CONTRACT.
HEALTH AND SAFETY IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO US.
THE RESPECT AND APPRECIATION WE RECEIVED IN THIS CONTRACT SAYS A LOT ABOUT OUR NEW MAYOR, JOHN WHITMEYER.
HE CAME OUT TO BAT FOR US IN A BIG WAY, AND WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE IT IN OUR NEWEST MEETING AND CONFER AGREEMENT.
WE WORK EVERY EMERGENCY AND WE RESPOND SOMETIMES THEY FOR FIRE AND POLICE CAN DO THEIR JOB.
WE ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES IN THE BACKGROUND AND HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND FOR SO LONG.
BUT WITH OUR NEW MAYOR, JOHN WHITMEYER, OUR MEETING AND CONFER AGREEMENT, WE HAVE MADE SOME HUGE CHANGES IN DISPUTE RESOLUTIONS AND WE SHARED A LOT WITH THE CITY MANAGEMENT ON HOW UNFAIR AND UNJUST SYSTEM HAS BEEN.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME FOR US.
OUR BOSS AND MAYOR OF HOUSTON, JOHN WHITMEYER, HAS SHOWN US US ALL.
NOT ONLY A PRO-LABOR, BUT A PRO HOPE MAYOR CAN MAKE.
MAYOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A WORD? YES, SURE.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O, AND I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING 90 UNIONS AND 60,000 UNION MEMBERS ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
TO CONGRATULATE HOPE THE CITY EMPLOYEES UNION AND MAYOR WHITMEYER ON KNOCKING OUT A FAIR DEAL FOR WORKERS AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
CITY WORKERS ARE THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES OUR CITY AND THEY HAVE COME TOGETHER.
THEY HAVE ORGANIZED, THEY HAVE PLANNED, THEY HAVE WORKED HARD TO BRING REASONABLE PROPOSALS TO
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THE ADMINISTRATION.AND THIS ADMINISTRATION LISTENED AND WORKED WITH THEM TO PUT TOGETHER A FAIR CONTRACT.
IT LIFTS UP AND RECOGNIZES THE VALUE THAT THE WORKING PEOPLE HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON BRING TO THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF HOUSTON.
IT'S THERE, BUT IT'S ALSO FAIR TO TAXPAYERS AS WELL.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE EMPLOYEES WHO WANT TO STAY AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND WORK HARD AND ARE DEDICATED AND ARE SKILLED.
AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE TREATED FAIRLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS CONTRACT DOES.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS, MEMBERS OF HOPE.
YOU HAVE SHOWN WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN WORKING PEOPLE COME TOGETHER AND FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS.
WE HAVE SHOWN WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN WE HAVE A MAYOR WHO RESPECTS WORKING PEOPLE AND WANTS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR A FAIR CONTRACT TOGETHER.
THERE'S ONLY ONE THING THAT NEEDS TO, TO, UH, COME NEXT, AND THAT'S TO MAKE SURE THAT CITY COUNCIL PASSES THIS CONTRACT.
IT IS FAIR FOR WORKING PEOPLE.
IT IS GOOD FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT IS GOOD FOR THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT CITY COUNCIL PASSES THIS CONTRACT.
UH, DID I SEE MR. VASQUEZ WITH ASKED ME.
I KNOW HE WANTED TO TRY TO MAKE IT.
UH, WITH THAT SAID, ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK, I THINK WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING QUICK QUESTION, IS THERE GONNA BE AN IMPACT TO TAXPAYERS? NO, THIS WAS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET IN WHICH WE PASSED, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE LIVED WITHIN THE BUDGET RESTRAINTS.
UH, IT'S A RESPONSIBLE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE TAXPAYERS, AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THEM.
WE APPRECIATE OUR CITY EMPLOYEES AND IT'S FAIR TO OUR CITY EMPLOYEES.
SO, UH, NOW WE'VE JUST GOT TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD, UH, COLLABORATE WITH OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, GET THINGS DONE, AND HOUSTON'S GONNA BE EVEN A GREATER CITY THAN, UH, WE WOKE UP TO THIS MORNING.
THIS IS A REALLY, A GOOD THING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
YES, PEOPLE HAVE DISCOVERED HOUSTON, THEY'RE COMING HERE IN LARGE NUMBERS.
WE HAVE MAJOR EVENTS SCHEDULED.
WE'VE GOTTA GET READY FOR THEM, BUT NOTHING WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEDICATION, HARD WORK OF OUR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES.
AND I WILL SAY THAT EVERY DAY THAT, UH, THAT, THAT SOMEONE WILL LISTEN AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY
SO WITH ANYTHING, NOTHING ELSE, MAYOR.
UM, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT IN THIS NEXT BUDGET, THIS IS ACCOUNTED FOR.
WHAT ABOUT IN THE NEXT BUDGET WHERE WE KNOW
SO WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN TO DELIVER ON, UH, SERVICES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND WE COULD NOT DO THAT WITHOUT OUR RANK AND FILE CITY EMPLOYEES.
HOPE GIVES US ALL, UH, THE RELIABILITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH 'EM.
WE, WE DO HAVE OUR BETTER DAYS STILL IN FRONT OF US.
I PLAN TO BE AROUND HERE AND, UH, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ARE, PUBLIC EMPLOYEES IN GENERAL, QUITE FRANKLY.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I THINK Y'ALL TOOK OVER MY OFFICE ABOUT TWO WEEKS.