FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2022
CONTACT INFO. :
Office of the Mayor
Patricia Resende
(401) 529-3207
East Providence ratifies union contracts modifying City Hall hours and wages
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – The City of East Providence, together with the East Providence Professional Managerial and Technical Employees Association (EPPMTEA) union, have mutually agreed to two contracts. The new contracts come after more than a year of negotiations between the city of East Providence and union leaders.
The first agreement (a one-year contract) calls for no contractual changes or wage increases for the November 1, 2020 through October 31, 2021 period.
The second agreement (a three-year contract) includes an 8 percent wage increase over the three-year period. There will be four, 2 percent increases over the term of this contract. These increases are below the 5.9 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) effective January 2022 as set by Social Security Administration.
One of the major agreements in the contract is the allowance for modification of City Hall’s hours of operation. Under the new contract language, the Administration has the ability to implement a change of hours at City Hall to better serve our residents. The contract enables City Hall hours to be modified on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning sometime this spring at a date to be determined.
“I am grateful to the members of our negotiation team and to the union leadership and membership for negotiating in good faith not only on behalf of the union, but to the benefit of the residents we serve,” Mayor Roberto DaSilva said. “With this agreement, we are now in a better position to serve our city’s residents who often cannot make it to City Hall during regular business hours to conduct their business.”
The modified schedule was also agreed upon by the United Steelworkers Local 15509 in previous negotiations with the City of East Providence.
These collective bargaining agreements will continue to keep East Providence on a fiscally responsible footing while affording our employees a fair contract.
The contracts were ratified by the East Providence City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.
