Bellflower : City Employees to Get Chance to Vote on Union

The Bellflower City Council has passed an employer-employee relations resolution that paves the way for an election among city employees to determine whether they should be represented by a union for the first time.

After about an hour of debate, the council approved the resolution by a 4-1 vote. City Councilman Joe Cvetko said an election could take place in about 25 days.

Pete Schnaufer, a representative of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said, however, that the resolution would prohibit a union from representing as many employees as it wants and allows management to punish employees at the bargaining table by making the last offer. If employees refuse the last offer, Schnaufer said, they would receive no raise at all.

Councilman Cvetko, who voted for the resolution, said it was necessary that the city protect some of its interests. He said the resolution was passed in order to move ahead with the election. “Now the rank and file can decide if they want a union or not,” he said.