EMPLOYEES OF the City of Spokane feared that more than 28 of their number would lose their jobs to budget cuts next year, but an agreement reached in mid-November with the city not only avoids layoffs, but also excludes furloughs.

“We achieved savings through cancelling contract benefits and deferring cost-of-living allowances which gave the city the savings they were looking for in 2010 as well as 2011, which is expected to be as bad as next year,” explains Staff Representative Mike Smith.

“Hopefully, we are set up for two years of not having to go through this again.”

About 1,100 members of Local 270 in almost all city departments are affected by the new agreement.

“The agreement was put together by Joe Cavanaugh, president of Local 270, “ Smith says. “He and his fellow negotiating committee members did a fantastic job.”

Smith says the agreement was advantageous for the city as well as for the union. “We just extended the contract for a year and rolled some of our cost-of-living adjustments down the road a bit and gave the city more than the savings it was looking for.”

City management was collaborative in every way, Smith adds. “They were committed to treating the employees fairly and with respect.”