Pickets at Council meeting

arrying signs, about 15 members of Columbia’s Service Employees International Union 668 held an informational picket prior to Monday’s borough council meeting.
The union, which consists of 25 highway and wastewater department workers, along with office workers in the municipal office and police department, is in the process of negotiating a new five-year contract with the borough.
Members of SEIU has been working without a contract since December 2007, said Harry Howard, union head.
Howard said prior to the start of Monday’s council meeting, the borough’s final offer isn’t good enough for the union.
“What they offered us is very degrading. We would end up paying the borough to work here,” Howard said.
Howard said the union has entered into the fact finding part of negotiations. The borough, the union said, has offered them lump sum payments twice a year and is proposing an increase to employees’ contributions for health care.
Howard said the union blames Borough Manager Norm Meiskey for the lack of a new contract. Meiskey was not at Monday’s meeting as he was attending a seminar.
The union has authorized a strike. Howard said Monday, no date has been set.
He said there is a possibility they will hold an informational picket again Saturday during the Cruisin Columbia Car Show, which will be held downtown.
“We want to get the fact finding back and get back to the bargaining table,” Howard said.
“On one hand they (the borough) pats us on the back and tells us how good of job we are doing, but then they think we are the worst people around,” Howard said.
As the meeting started, the workers made their way inside the council chambers. They got some support inside.
“We are blessed to have good workers in this borough. There should be an agreement with them,” said Herbert Spiese of the 200 block of Perry Street.
“We’ve been negotiating with them since last June,” said Council Vice-President Mary Wickenheiser.
“You are going to lose some of these people if you don’t treat them right. It’s important to the workers have a real good, living wage,” Spiese said.
Later in the meeting, Councilman Vern Detz said he couldn’t help but notice the union’s presence.
“I echo Mr. Spiese’s comments,” Detz said.
He said he was a little disappointed that the union used the media to get the word out about the lack of a contract.
“It made for an ugly sore eye for the borough,” Detz said.
“I was a little disappointed this got out before fact finding was done and hoped the fact finding would have taken place first,” Detz said.
“Now we have to deal with it,” Detz said.
“The borough wanted to see the facts come back before we invite you back to the bargaining table,” Detz said.
Howard countered Detz’ comments by saying the fact finding is complete and the union had received the borough’s final offer.
“It’s a done deal,” Howard said of the fact finding.
Wickenheiser said the borough was waiting for the fact finder to be named before proceeding.