City reaches agreement with Blue Collar employees

Late last month, the Boulder City Council approved a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the Teamsters Local 14 Blue Collar Bargaining Unit (BCBU).

The agreement covers 42 employees, including wastewater, facilities, maintenance, animal control, landscape and meter reading workers, according to a city news release.

“Members of the Blue Collar Bargaining Unit are critical to the health, safety and welfare of Boulder City,” City Manager Ned Thomas said in the release.

“I appreciate the good-faith efforts of the city’s negotiating team and the members of this Bargaining Unit to get a contract in place before the new fiscal year starts next week.”

The previous contract expired on June 30, 2025. The most significant changes to the new CBA for BCBU include:

• Effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028

• Grievance procedure clarifications

• Replacement of safety shoe stipend – the city will pay up to $270 per year starting on July 1, 2027

• Compensation will include:

• FY26 3.5% increase (retroactive to July 1, 2025)

• FY27 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) based on the Consumer

• Price Index (CPI) between 2.25% and 3.25%

• FY28 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) based on the Consumer

• Price Index (CPI) between 2.25% and 3.25%

The city has been engaged in negotiations with the BCBU since their previous contract expired last year. The city has eight separate collective bargaining units.

The fiscal impact for FY26 is $410,131, which was already earmarked in the budget. The fiscal impact for FY27 will be $616,148; for FY28, the impact will be $859,023.