BIDDEFORD, Maine - Unionized police and public works employees in Biddeford plan to picket Tuesday evening in front of Biddeford City Hall. The members of Teamsters Local 340 say they've been negotiating a new three-year contract with the city for the past six months.
They say that the city has walked away from negotiations, not bargained in good faith and declared an impasse. Mediation sessions have been scheduled for August.
The workers say the biggest issues involve wages and benefits. "Their proposal was all take, take, take - there was no give and take which is what a good negotiation is," says Local 340 Business Agent Ray Cote.
Cote says union members would be willing to meet with the city to try and negotiate a deal before mediation starts.
The city of Biddeford's labor negotiator, Michael Wing, says city officials don't think that would be productive and are waiting for mediation to begin. Rather than say negotiations have reached an impasse, he says Biddeford felt it was appropriate to ask for some help, and so asked that a labor mediator be assigned.
Wing says the city's primary concern is employee benefits in the contract. He says they are very expensive and above industry norms in both York County and the state of Maine.
