Union Contract

IAFF Local 2067/City of Norman Contract

Available here is the IAFF Local 2067/City of Norman, Oklahoma FY09 & FY10 Union Contract.

Click ICON or here to download the current FY09 & 10 Contract.

November 20, 2008 - The FY09 & 10 Contract, ratified earlier this year, is available for anyone wishing to review its contents. The PDF file (Adobe Acrobat) is 1.5mb in size, Dependent upon your connection, viewing this document may take a few moments to load.

What is a Union Contract?

A union contract - also called a "collective bargaining agreement" - is a legally binding document that is binding by law between the employee and the employer. It is negotiated with the employer and provides for, among other things, wages, benefits, hours, general working conditions, and procedures for addressing problems on the job. The advantages of having a Collective Agreement are many. Among the biggest is that everyone is subject to the same rules -- no favoritism, no wage disparity, no unjustified discipline.

The Agreement is negotiated between the union (IAFF Local 2067) and management (City of Norman). The City of Norman is obligated by law to bargain fairly with their employees when it comes time to negotiate.

In addition a “collective bargaining agreement” would have sections in dealing not only with wages and benefits, but also scheduling and shifts, vacations, promotions and transfers, discipline, time off for jury duty or bereavement and many other aspects of employment.

A Collective Agreement has a set starting and ending date. Once the new Agreement is negotiated, it must be presented to the members in a ratification vote. Members have a choice of whether to accept or reject the Agreement. If a majority of those voting votes to accept the Agreement, it officially becomes the contract that governs everyone's employment until it is renegotiated.

After the Agreement is ratified, it becomes the union's job to make sure management lives up to it. If management tries to do something in which is not allowed under the Collective Agreement, the union can launch a “grievance”. A grievance is a charge that management has violated the Agreement. If management does not agree to make changes, the grievance can go all the way to Arbitration, where a neutral third party trained in workplace disputes will decide the issue, much like a judge in a court.

The Local 2067 will remain dedicated to protecting the contract that has been so diligently fought for. After all, a union and the contract that stands up to it, creates the only sure breeze of democracy in the workplace.