Union at "War" with Berry

Albuquerque {KRQE} - Union representatives, ticked off by Albuquerque Mayor R.J. Berry's plan to cut city workers salaries, have come out swinging, calling the fight against the budget plan, war.

“Are we not at war?” Andrew Padilla asked.

Padilla is one of the local American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees’ presidents. He said it's a war the mayor started.

“He wanted to get rid of the union, cut wages and take everybody to district court on their union time.” Padilla said.

Mayor Berry's budget plan would eliminate promised pay raises to city workers, cut their salaries by 3 percent, and charge them more for their benefits. A plan the mayor says is better than the alternative, layoffs.

“But the fact is that we've got a $66 million problem we are trying to solve and we're are trying to keep efficiencies and keep people in a job in a job market where 6,000 people are unemployed in the metropolitan area.” Berry said.

Shrinking tax revenues are partly to blame for the budget mess. The union says it shouldn't have to pay for the lack of consumer spending, and that people who live in the city shouldn't expect the same services in a recession.

“We are going to make sure that the basic services are provided for the city of Albuquerque, it's not going to be in wage cuts though.” Berry said.

The mayor says protecting city services rank at the top of his list, and he's doing what he thinks it takes to keep those services at high standards.

“We need to remember who we work for and we work for the taxpayer, all of us do. The tax payer doesn't work from us.” Berry went on to say, “We just see it a little bit differently I guess.”

Union members plan to pack the city council meeting Thursday night to voice their concerns. They don't have too much to bargain with though, since legally they are not allowed to strike.