The opening shots were launched in the union management negotiations on September 1.

Manager David Lindsay and labor attorney Daniel Kunkel faced off against John Sholtes, business agent for Teamsters Local No. 79 and shop stewards Steve Champaglia and John Weatherhead.

Sholtes gave a long lecture on procedure.

Manager Lindsay said that “changes in benefit plans” had to happen to “target the most excessive” and “bring them down to what is comparable.”

Both sides talked about contract duration of 18 months.

Sholtes refused the request of the press to furnish a copy of his non-economic proposals. Lindsay presented a list of proposals to clean up the contract language.

Management proposed that there be no merit raise for FY 2009 and 2010. The current contract mandated a 4 percent across the board merit pay increase each year of the three-year contract. It was also proposed that the cost of living increase be capped at a maximum 3 percent per year permanently.

Also proposed were limitations on sell back provisions for sick pay, vacation time, and personal days. In the future there would be no cash sell-back. For sick pay the holding cap would be limited to 100 hours rather than the current 500 hours.

Sick pay accruals would decrease from 104 to 80 hours per year. Cash-out upon separation on good terms would be based on years of service. At the end of five years 10 percent; end of 10 years 25 percent; end of 20 years 50 percent; and more than 20 years 75 percent.

For vacation the holding cap would be 200 hours and for personal days no cash in.

For health insurance, employees would pay 200 percent of the Lee County insurance contribution.

By way of comparison example, employees in the federal government pay 31 percent of the premium for the nationwide Blue Cross health service benefit plan.

Vacation accumulation is limited to 240 hours, then its “use or loose.” Upon separation, the employee is paid for accumulated vacation time. There is no sell- back of sick leave but it is added to the years of service calculation for retirement.

The union made no economic proposals or counter offers to the management proposals.

The parties agreed to resume negotiations at the next scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on September 8 at District Headquarters on East County Lane and Lee Blvd.