Services

At Crimmel Economic Consulting, we are extremely grateful for the valuable service you provide our communities. We also understand the challenges you endure and the sacrifices you make. You work long hours, weekends, and holidays away from your families and often under stressful situations. Outside work, you have additional commitments that require your time and the last thing you should have to worry about is your next contract. That’s why at Crimmel Economic Consulting, our primary mission is to help relieve some of that burden and provide your union with expert collective bargaining support. Listed below are a few of the many ways we can assist your union negotiate a fair contract.

Ability to Pay Analysis
Making the Ability to Pay case is the most important part of any interest arbitration hearing. We ascertain each municipality’s financial position by thoroughly examining the audit and budget reports, along with a plethora of additional information specific to each case. Furthermore, we examine local economic conditions and provide a complete analysis of each municipality’s Ability to Pay.

Comparability Studies
Another important component of an interest arbitration hearing is comparing your unit’s pay and benefits to other comparable units. This task can be become complicated when considering holiday, longevity, and shift differential pay. It becomes even more complicated when considering health and pension contributions along with vacation and personal leave. We do an excellent job of untangling these components to provide a clear understanding of how your unit’s total compensation package compares with those of other units.

Forecasting and Statistical Analysis
Our firm has expert knowledge on forecasting and other statistical techniques. We are able to identify flaws in municipal financial forecasts and exploit those shortcomings at interest arbitration hearings. Furthermore, we are able to gather and provide statistical evidence supporting a particular aspect of your interest arbitration case. For example, high attrition rates are a common problem that plague many units. This is especially true in larger cities and is often associated with lower salaries. Statistically establishing this relationship and presenting the findings at your arbitration hearing will strengthen your union’s position significantly and help ensure a fair outcome to your case.

Economic and Financial Reports
Gathering information is an integral part of the collective bargaining process. Our economic and financial reports are aimed to provide your union with a comprehensive understanding of where your municipality stands financially. Our reports provide valuable insight that help your union make necessary and informed decisions.

Expert Economic Witness Testimony
Often labor unions and their municipalities cannot reach an accord on a new collective bargaining agreement and have to file an impasse with the state or another regulating authority. In most cases, both sides present their requests, along with supporting evidence, before a neutral arbitrator who ultimately decides the final outcome. Having a proven expert economist testify on your behalf will make a very positive difference. Whether it be an Ability to Pay, or Comparability analysis, we have an excellent record of delivering expert economic testimony that has ultimately resulted in better awards.

Mediation Support
Many of the unions we work with do not have the right to present their case before a neutral arbitrator. In such cases, we provide the same support and analysis as we would for an interest arbitration hearing. We work along-side your union’s attorney as part of the negotiating team, and lend our support at all mediation sessions where our unbiased opinion and technical expertise can help your union work towards a fair agreement.

To discuss any way that we can support you, please feel free to contact Jeremy Crimmel at 484-494-5181 or jcrimmel.economics@gmail.com.