Vallejo's first contract negotiated since the city left chapter 9 bankruptcy in November 2011 will take longer than expected to complete, city officials said this week, The (Vallejo) Times-Herald reported today. Contract talks that began in June, however, will continue, and an impasse is not on the horizon, city and unions officials said. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers contract expires at the end of December. City Manager said current contract provisions will be extended after the expiration, and talks are scheduled to continue into next year, City Manager Dan Keen said. "The city is hopeful that the parties will reach an agreement in early 2013," said Keen, adding that although the city's five-year post-bankruptcy plan does call for concessions from all labor groups, Vallejo's fiscal year budget does not contemplate any more savings from the IBEW contract negotiation. The year's contract talks appear to be in marked contrast to the contentious battle between IBEW and the city three years ago. Ultimately, a federal bankruptcy judge had to order IBEW to renegotiate its contract after approving the city's plan to throw out the existing contract. Later, when talks continued to stall, the council considered imposing a one-year contract on the union if it could not come up with more than $3.4 million in spending cut recommendations. IBEW ultimately presented a plan that the Vallejo City Council adopted in late 2009.
