Palm Bay ratifies contracts with NAGE Blue and NAGE White; Christmas Eve added as paid holiday

City Council on Oct. 9 approved tentative agreements with two city bargaining units represented by the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE Blue and NAGE White), adopting contract terms ratified by unit members earlier this week.

City Manager Morton told council the agreements had been discussed in an executive session on Sept. 22 and ratified by the bargaining unit members on Sept. 23. The contracts include wage increases, enhancements to longevity pay, specialty pay additions for wastewater operators and an additional officially paid holiday — Christmas Eve — to align with existing city holiday practice.

Proponents at the meeting framed the contracts as investments in workforce retention and recruitment. Michael Williams, president of NAGE Blue, thanked council and staff for the agreement and described "the blue‑collar" and public‑works employees as the unseen city workforce responsible for potholes, trash collection, park maintenance and other essential services.

Council members praised the city’s public‑works, utility and public‑safety support personnel and said the wage and benefit adjustments reflect the city’s desire to retain experienced employees and reduce recruitment and training costs. Both items passed unanimously; Councilman Hammer moved approval of the blue‑unit agreement and Deputy Mayor Jaffe seconded; the white‑unit agreement passed similarly.

No specific total dollar cost for the contracts was reported aloud during the meeting; city staff described the measures as an expense and an investment in experienced workers and said the cost of retraining or recruiting can be significant relative to wages.

Council’s action finalizes the contract changes presented at the meeting. Implementation steps such as payroll adjustments and administrative processes were to be handled by human resources and finance staff.