The City of Miami Beach has the following five (5) classified employee groups that are represented by bargaining units:

• Group I - Represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1554;
• Group II - Represented by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) William Nichols Lodge No. 8;
• Group III - Represented by the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 1510;
• Group IV - Represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 3178; and
• Group V - Represented by the Government Supervisors Association of Florida (GSAF), OPEIU, Local 100.

In addition, the City has one classified employee group, Group VI, comprising all other classifications in the classified service not covered by a bargaining unit. This group is commonly referred to in the City of Miami Beach as “Others”. There is a seventh salary group comprised of at-will employees, commonly referred to as Unclassified.

The City has reached agreement with three of the five bargaining units to amend the prior three-year collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) including the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) William Nichols Lodge No. 8, the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 1510, and Government Supervisors Association of Florida/OPEIU, Local 100 (GSAF). At the time of this writing, the City is still negotiating successor agreements with CWA and AFSCME.

Included in the negotiated agreements between the City and the IAFF, FOP, and GSAF for a three year period from October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2018, are provisions for the implementation of a one percent (1%) across-the-board cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective the first pay period ending in April of 2016, for all classified employees, with a corresponding one percent (1%) increase to the minimum and maximum of each classification’s salary range; a three percent (3%) across-the-board COLA, effective the first pay period ending in July of 2017, with a corresponding three percent (3%) increase to the minimum and maximum of each classification’s salary range; a three percent (3%) across-the-board COLA, effective the first pay period ending in July of 2018, with a corresponding three percent (3%) increase to the minimum and maximum of each classification’s salary range

The City’s past practice has been to provide COLAs to unclassified and unrepresented classified service employees (OTHERS – Group VI), consistent with the COLAs negotiated by the represented classified employees (Groups I through V).

The Administration recommends amending the Classified Salary Ordinance (Ordinance No. 789) to reflect the following changes. Effective the first full pay period ending in April of 2016, there shall be an across the board cost of living adjustment (COLA) of one percent (1%) for all classified employees not covered by a bargaining unit, commonly referred to as others, with a corresponding one percent (1%) increase to the minimum and maximum of each salary range; effective the first full pay period ending in July of 2017, there shall an across the board COLA of three percent (3%) for all classified employees not covered by a bargaining unit, commonly referred to as others, with a corresponding three percent increase (3%) to the minimum and maximum of each salary range; effective the first full pay period ending in July of 2018, there shall an across the board COLA of three percent (3%) for all classified employees not covered by a bargaining unit, commonly referred to as others, with a corresponding three percent (3%) increase to the minimum and maximum of each salary range.

The one percent (1%) COLA, effective the first full pay period ending in April of 2016, represents an impact of approximately $6,655. The three percent (3%) COLA, effective the first full pay period ending in July of 2017, represents an impact of approximately $23,491. The three percent (3%) COLA, effective the first full pay period ending in July of 2018, represents an impact of approximately $64,522. The estimated figures do not take into consideration current turnover rates or vacant positions; however, the Administration anticipates the impact of such to be minimal. Any of the aforementioned classified employees who separate from employment with the City prior to the date of implementation of the COLA’s, will not be eligible to receive the COLA increases.