City Commissioners unanimously approved two more labor agreements during their July 15 meeting.

Commissioners approved two labor agreements during their July 1 meeting and that leaves three remaining agreements, including two of the largest with police and fire.

City approves two labor agreements

The agreements are with the Great Falls Public Employees Crafts Council and the Montana Federation of Public Employees, City of Great Falls 911 Public Safety Communication Officers, Local 8541.

Both agreements run July 1 through June 30, 2027.

The crafts council bargaining group includes 116 employees across four departments: administration, library, park and recreation and public works.

The dispatchers union includes 11 employees.

City approves new Crafts Council labor contract [2024]

Both agreements update basic contractual language to make the agreements clearer, more understandable and consistent, including grammatical corrections, reflecting current terminology and referencing applicable policies.

Both agreements also reflect that annual health insurance premiums are now split 80 percent paid by the city and 20 percent paid by the employee.

The crafts council agreement adds a section stating employees may not be under the influence of or impaired by alcohol or controlled substances while on duty. Crafts members are subject to random drug testing as referenced in the city’s personnel policy manual.

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The crafts council agreement adds two positions, maintenance worker III, one in each of the operators, teamsters and laborers unions; and senior vehicle services mechanic, one in each of the machinist and operators unions, according to city staff.

The agreement includes the the following rate increases in this and the next fiscal year:

• laborers, two percent
• teamsters, three percent
• operators, four percent
• machinists, seven percent

The agreement also includes a three percent cost of living increase and a one percent health insurance for each year in the contract term.

Those adjustments are about a $1,115,140 cost increase to the city.

Crafts council members voted to ratify the contract in July.

The dispatchers agreement includes a five percent wage increase, three percent cost of living increase and one percent health insurance adjustment for each year of the two-year contract, for a cost to the city of about $139,000.

The dispatchers union voted to ratify the agreement in May.