The change did not affect the workers at the Village because the contract remained in place, officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Discussions began this week on the biggest component of Key Biscayne\u2019s budget \u2014 wages and benefits \u2014 for the island\u2019s 113 unionized government workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
First up: the opening round for 32 police officers and sergeants. Labor representatives said they would be focused on getting equal treatment with other Village employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was unusual that police and fire wouldn\u2019t have parity,\u201d said Andrew Axlerad, the negotiator for the Police Benevolent Association union. \u201cWe would like to see police officers treated the same as to wages and benefits. \u201d He focused on the pension system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Key Biscayne Chief Financial Officer Benjamin Nussbaum disputed the characterization. \u201cThey are treated on equal footing,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neither the PBA nor the Village made any specific contract proposals, but both sides pledged to work swiftly on reaching a new three-year agreement. The two sides will meet again next month.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The police and fire budgets represent almost half of Key Biscayne\u2019s $45 million operating budget, Village figures show. Most of that expense is personnel costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Village Manager Steve Williamson said he plans on being at most bargaining sessions. He said the municipality has demonstrated its commitment to treating its employees well. \u201cIt\u2019s important to me,\u201d he said, while saying that the Village Council makes the ultimate decisions about the labor contract.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cIt has to be sustainable,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The session was the first time the PBA was at the bargaining table in Key Biscayne after most police union members voted to switch their labor affiliation last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The change means that the Village will be negotiating with three different unions for the 2026 contract cycle:\u00a0 the PBA for police officers and sergeants, the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) for four police lieutenants and 34 civilian staffers, and the Key Biscayne Professional Firefighters local, which represents 34 employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The talks come against a backdrop of hostility to organized labor at the state level, except for most public safety employees. A 2023 law \u2014 which only applies to civilian staff like teachers and non-sworn government workers \u2014 requires a minimum union membership or the state Public Employee Relations Board will decertify the union.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The change meant a loss of union coverage for\u00a0 thousands of workers across the state, including the civilian union group in Key Biscayne. The group re-attained its status after briefly losing its certification\u00a0 last fall<\/a>.<\/p>\n The change did not affect the workers at the Village because the contract remained in place, officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Invest in Local News for Your Town. Your Gift is tax-deductible<\/a><\/p>\n
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