City workers file charges against city

By Kendall Jones

City workers fighting for pay raise

The union has brought charges against the City with the Public Employee Relations Board.

City workers are fighting to get a pay raise.

The union has brought charges against the City with the Public Employee Relations Board.

Yesterday, workers protested at the City Council meeting.

State law says cities must negotiate contracts with unions in "good faith."

Some city workers say the City did not do that when it froze worker salaries on August 19th.

"We understand budget shortages and difficult financial times," said Lisa Ochs, President of The Kansas Association of Public Employees. "We're all facing those. The employees are facing those and that's why we think that it's important that there be some kind of negotiation about wages and hours of work and all of the things that affect employees."

Ochs said this is the first time in recent memory the KAPE has filed charges against a public employer.

State law makes it illegal for public workers to strike, but they have vowed to continue to protest.

They are the second group of city workers to protest regularly at city council meetings.

Topeka firefighters have protested for almost one year.

Currently in Topeka, KS

KTKA