FULTON — When City of Fulton officials proposed a budget that included a property tax increase of nearly 30%, residents were outraged, city leaders looked to cut costs and city union members were asked to help shoulder the burden.
Fulton officials requested a meeting with the presidents of the three municipal unions — CSEA, police and fire — to see if concessions were possible.
For CSEA Unit President Tom Schimpff, the request raised concerns about fairness, staffing and the long-term impact on essential services.
“I made it clear that giving back $100,000 out of a $4 million budget is very different than giving back $100,000 out of a $2 million budget,” Schimpff said.
While the police department committed to saving $100,000 through staffing and overtime changes, Schimpff focused on protecting CSEA jobs. Among ideas floated by city leaders was the elimination of municipal garbage collection, a move that would cost 12 union jobs and severely hinder snow removal and other operations.
Schimpff began developing contingency plans for a worst-case scenario, finding potential options that could save jobs without weakening the contract. One option involved overtime language that had been negotiated in a prior contract.
“At the end of the day, I had to ask: is it worth giving back a few hours of overtime if it saves 12 jobs?” Schimpff said. “Because once you lose people, you don’t just lose numbers, you cripple operations.”
Throughout the process, Schimpff emphasized transparency with the membership. He presented the options during a unit meeting and made clear that his priority was preventing layoffs.
Members voted overwhelmingly in favor of Schimpff’s approach.
“When members trust their leadership and stand together the way they did behind Tom, it shows how strong our union can be,” Central Region President Kenny Greenleaf said. “That kind of solidarity doesn’t happen by accident; it takes transparency, hard work, and putting members first.”
Ultimately, Schimpff never had to use that bargaining chip but knew that he had his unit’s full support. In the end, nearly $70,000 in savings was returned to the city by forgoing a laborer position for one year.
City officials publicly acknowledged CSEA and the police department for stepping up, and Schimpff said the outcome strengthened the union’s standing in the community.
“Publicly, we wanted to help the city,” he said. “We didn’t want to be seen as the union that didn’t step up, but we also weren’t going to do it on the backs of our members.”
After years of rebuilding trust and engagement, Schimpff believes the City of Fulton Unit is stronger than ever.
“We’re not just saying we have a union,” he said. “We actually built one.”
— Nicholas Newcomb