Our union agreement has recently expired and is up for re-negotiations. Members are pushing for a 10% cost of living adjustments because of inflation and our health insurance increased and doubled our premium. The municipality came back and agreed to 4% COLA for the first year and 3% COLA for the next two years. For me it's better than the regular 2% we were getting for the past 3 years. However entry level new hires are protesting and withholding their votes since they want a huge bump in their pay because they are on the lowest salary step. I also think that being new employees they do not have the background on the negotiations and that prolonging the agreement is actually beneficial to the municipality not having to pay out any increases. This can also mean that the negotiations will be pushed back for another six months leaving us with no increase to offset the doubled medical premium. We were warned that once a negotiation is done it is not retroactive and will only be applied going forward. I think everyone should just get the instant gratification right now rather than prolong the negotiations and get nothing for the next 6 months, our agreement is renewed every 3 years anyway and historically the municipality doesn't always give in anyway to whatever is the first demand for increase. They always negotiate for less than half of what is asked so I'm assuming twisting their arm they would give in to a 5% increase. Would you vote yey or nay?