2024 Meet & Confer Page
Your HOPE 2024 Meet & Confer Agreement is HERE!
“The City met and conferred with HOPE in order to recognize the positive roles of municipal employees, reflect the constructive influence employees can have on City government and acknowledge the critical roles that hard work, good faith, and commitment to public service play in the provision of City services as well as the effective and efficient administration of City departments.” - 2024 Meet & Confer Agreement, Intent
-Click HERE to reserve your hard copy of the 2024 M&CA-
As City Employees in Houston, we are able to improve our pay, benefits, and policies and procedures through our Meet & Confer Process every 3 years.
Our Meet & Confer Agreement touches most every aspect of our work as City Employees. Make sure you have your copy!
What’s new in the 2024 M&CA?
The 2024 Meet & Confer Agreement substantially boosts wages, increases incentives like longevity pay and overtime premium pay, preserves and safeguards long-held benefits, and significantly builds union rights and union access to the workplace.
Wage increases:
- Year 1:
- $116 per pay period as an increase to all HOPE bargaining unit members’ base pay, over $3,000 annually. (On average, equivalent to a 5% - 6% increase.
- Minimum wage increased from $15.00 to $16.75.
- Year 2:
- 3.5% across-the-board increase.
- Minimum wage increased from $16.75 to $17.25.
- Year 3:
- 3.5% across-the-board increase.
- Minimum wage increased from $17.25 to $18.00.
Incentive Increases:
- Shift Differential Increase for 2nd shift to $0.75 per hour (was $0.50) and for 3rd shift to $1.25 per hour (was $1.00).
- Longevity pay increase to $3.00 per year per pay period (from $2.00)
- Emergency Activation, 7-Consecutive Work-week Days, and Special Event Compensation.
Other Benefits:
- 24 new personal leave hours each year. (Compensate for a city-council-directed decrease in maximum vacation accrual).
- Voluntary “Phase-Down” program. (Unit members can retire at 60 and keep their current City health care costs until eligible for Medicare).
Union Rights:
- Union Presence at ALL fact-finding meetings.
- 48-hour notice to secure a Steward or HOPE Staff. (Includes OIG and IAD with HOPE Staff.)
- Stewards (Formerly Department Union Representatives) can now represent ANY Unit Member, regardless of Department.
- Level 1 Corrective Actions now grievable.
- All Departmental Labor-Management Cooperation Councils (DLMCCs) now are active.
- Click HERE to see previous Meet & Confer Agreements -
HOPE 2024 M&CA Negotiating History:
The Meet & Confer Negotiations took a lot of effort and hard work by HOPE members!
March 2024:
- Negotiating Team assembled and went through a Bargaining Workshop from the AFSCME International Training Department.
- Negotiating Team breaks into committees and builds the 2024 M&CA Negotiations Survey.
- March 12th, 2024 Negotiations Survey goes live.
April 2024:
- April 6th, HOPE Negotiating Team visits the City Council to announce the preparation for Negotiations.
- 2024 M&CA Negotiations Survey sees hundreds of UMs participate and the focus on Increased Pay, Better Benefits, and Overall Respect highlights the responses.
May 2024:
- May 7th, HOPE Day Proclamation, 1st days of Negotiations.
- May 16th, HOPE presents the Compensation Proposal.
- May wins include increased Electronic Communications so City Employees can stay informed and DLMCC Implementations!
- May “Derecho” storms cause blackouts and highlight the need for City Employees.
June 2024:
- Won a bigger voice in the Benefits committee while keeping the 10% limit.
- Moved forward with other small articles like management rights.
- June 13th, shifted the “Burden of Proof” in Civil Service to the City. (Indefinite suspensions, involuntary demotions)
July 2024:
- City and HOPE make ground on proposals for Compensation, Workforce, and Grievance Processes.
- Won improvements to Union Issues like HLP time.
- Hurricane Beryl causes more blackouts and damage. City Workers are needed more than ever to keep Houston running.
August 2024:
- Schedules led to limited sessions, but HOPE Negotiating Team members continued with blitzes and other actions to show support.
- Agreed to the Phase Down which allows tenured employees to stay on COH Healthcare until Medicare eligible.
- Union Presence on Corrective Actions and Representation.
September 2024:
- Wins on the Grievance Process and upcoming pay raises led to a full Tentative Agreement!
- Negotiating Team members visit dozens of worksites for the Ratification Process.
October 2024:
- HOPE members overwhelmingly ratify the agreement to start on November 1st, 2024.
- Over 500 City Employees join HOPE throughout this process.
- Click HERE to TAKE ACTION for a Stronger M&CA, including joining HOPE -