Tyson expresses reservations about collective bargaining for city employees
From left, the official photograph of the Kinston City Council members, Robbie Swinson, IV, Joseph Tyson, Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon, Mayor Don Hardy, Krystal Suggs and Sammy Aiken. Photo courtesy of the City of Kinston
Kinston Mayor Don Hardy voiced his support on Wednesday for a pair of bills currently working its way through the state legislature that would repeal North Carolina’s ban on collective bargaining with government employees. The potential of unionizing City of Kinston employees, however, has not received the whole-hearted support of the City Council.
Kinston Mayor Don Hardy spoke at a press conference Wednesday in support of bills to allow public employee collective bargaining agreements. Photo courtesy of Wiley Nickel / N.C. Senate-Facebook Live
Not all the members of the City Council responded to requests for comment from Neuse News, but Councilman Robbie Swinson said the mayor did not inform the council he intended to speak in support of the bill. He said the Council had not discussed the issue as a body, and thus had no official opinion on it.
Councilman Joe Tyson said he would have serious reservations about Kinston implementing any kind of collective bargaining with its employees, should the bill pass.
“My belief, as of today… is that this is not the proper course of action that the city should take,” he said. “The reason for my skepticism is ... that I don’t know what kind of impact it would have on our budget.”
Besides financial concerns, Tyson said he also had concerns about the overall effect on the state and the business community.
Tyson said his reservations about the collective bargaining bill don’t mean he isn’t concerned with ensuring city employees are well-paid. He pointed to a situation recently where journeymen working for the city were found to be underpaid compared to other similar workers and so the city worked out a raise to ensure they were being fairly compensated.
“I would prefer doing it that way, to having collective bargaining,” Tyson said.
Neuse News reached out to the other three council members — Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon, Sammy Aiken and Kristal Suggs — via phone calls, texts and emails, but they chose not to comment.
