City employees one step closer to getting longevity pay

City employees fought for some major payback Thursday evening.

In 2006, then -City Manager Joyce Wilson suspended longevity pay, or a pay increase for employees who have been employed five years or longer.

Instead of longevity pay, employees received a 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent increase every five years.

City employees soon realized they were getting short-changed.

Sun Metro union members filed a grievance about the pay several years ago but they were denied because they didn’t go through the proper channels.

An attorney representing local unions submitted a group grievance.

The grievance had to go through city supervisors, the human resources department and ultimately the U.S. Department of Labor.

The grievance was also heard by the Civil Service Commission which makes recommendations to the city council.

Union members argued the change from longevity pay to the 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent increase every five years was a significant cut in their paycheck.

In a unanimous vote, the Civil Service Commission agreed the ordinance that guaranteed longevity pay should be honored.

“These city employees are family. They are the family of El Paso, of everyone and it makes a difference to their families to both have fairness at work and better pay,” said Hal Gillespie, the attorney representing local unions.

The unions also wanted back pay. The motion wasn’t clear if it included back pay or only longevity pay.

The Civil Service Commission can only make a recommendation to city council.

Gillespie said if council turns the recommendation down, the unions will take the issue to court.