By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
St. Louis – The city's Civil Service Commission has sent a one-year contract with St. Louis public employees to the Board of Aldermen.
The decision made none of the unions happy.
Some in the occasionally rowdy crowd wanted to start negotiations over. Most wanted the Commission to approve the contract that had already been negotiated with the city's personnel director.
That would have given employees a 16.5 percent raise over three years. The one-year deal includes a 2.5 percent raise and a $300 bonus.
Jeff Rainford is chief of staff to Mayor Francis Slay.
"The city can afford this, the money's in the budget, no one's going to have to lose their jobs," he said.
The Commission's decision came right after a judge ruled they were not required under city charter to approve the proposal the unions supported.
Charles Bobinette represents the unions.
"It's a major setback for the constitutional rights of civil service employees and to collectively bargain," Bobinette said. "There's an ordinance in place that made clear what the process was, and that process was frustrated today."
Aldermen must approve any contract.