BILLINGS - A tentative agreement was announced Thursday in contract negotiations between the City of Billings and union workers.
Negotiations between the city and the Teamsters Local 190 Union had stalled recently when union members rejected the city's "last, best, and final" offer and voted to authorize a strike. The union pointed to what it described as a large disparity between compensation increases for union workers and city administration.
Here is the joint press release issued by the city and the union late Thursday morning:
Teamsters Union Local 190 and the City of Billings are pleased to announce they have reached a tentative agreement on a new 3-year contract.
Although agreed to by both negotiating parties, the contract still requires ratification by Union members and approval by the Billings City Council.
“Negotiations are always a difficult process, I appreciate the City’s willingness to work with us to find a solution that reflects the hard work of our members for the citizens of the city of Billings,” said Jim Soumas, Secretary-Treasurer for Teamsters Union Local 190.
The tentative agreement comes after 80 hours of negotiations and four days in mediation.
“I would like to thank our negotiation team for their diligence. I would also like to thank our workforce who serves our community,” said Billings City Administrator Chris Kukulski.
The City of Billings employs about 1,100 individuals, approximately 480 of which are represented by the Teamsters Union.
City spokeswoman Victoria Hill said in the release that at this time city and union officials will not speak publicly about details of the contract, and interview requests would be granted following final contact approval.
Hill said the union vote will be counted by the end of the day on July 11.
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