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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 20, 2011:
County Executive Robert P. Astorino said Tuesday that the declaration of a bargaining impasse by the CSEA continues a pattern of delay tactics by Westchester County government’s largest union that could lead to many more layoffs in the future.
“The Board of Legislators and I came to an agreement that saved more than 180 jobs in the 2012 budget,” Astorino said. “Unfortunately more than 40 layoffs will still be required. As long as union leaders keep insisting that taxpayers pick up the entire $100 million cost of their members’ health care, the county will have no choice but to eliminate more and more jobs going forward. We can’t employ people that we can’t pay for. The math doesn’t work any other way.”
Last week, the Civil Service Employees Association declared its negotiations with the county at an impasse. The county’s position is that the impasse could have been avoided if the union had engaged in good faith bargaining instead of stalling tactics.
· The union did not start bargaining until August, a month after the contract deadline for beginning negotiations. Astorino formally asked for the talks to begin in April.
· The union demanded that negotiations only be held when its representatives were on paid leave time from their regular county positions, insisted that meetings be of a short duration and argued about what room the meetings would be held in.
· The CSEA’s first health care proposal to save money was for the county to fill prescriptions with drugs from
· When the union finally made a health care proposal involving employee contributions, it was for its members to contribute $10 dollars per month, amounting to $120 for the entire year for a family health plan, which costs county taxpayers almost $20,000 per year.
· The same day it made the employee contribution offer, the union withdrew it.
“It is extremely frustrating,” said Astorino. “The CSEA’s behavior shows a complete lack of seriousness and respect for the collective bargaining process. Offering the smallest possible contribution – and then withdrawing even that miniscule concession – proves the union’s leaders do not understand the financial realities facing everyone in
As part of its healthcare contribution offer, the union tied it to substantial increases in wages and fringe benefits. In contrast, the CSEA’s parent union at the state level this year agreed to contributions as high as 31 percent of the premium for its health insurance plan, as part of a package that included multiple wage freezes.
When the county union was questioned by the county’s labor negotiator Vincent Toomey over this disparity, it responded by withdrawing its proposal to contribute anything towards healthcare.
“The CSEA says in its notification of the impasse that it had sought a contract that was fair to its membership, the county and to taxpayers,” said Toomey. “However, its actions tell a different story.”
In 2010, the average salary of a private sector worker in
With the two sides at an impasse, a mediator will be appointed, who will serve in an advisory capacity to the parties.
Astorino said he was particularly frustrated by the lack of urgency on the part of the CSEA union leadership, especially when the jobs of their members were at risk. For two years, in public and private, Astorino has been asking the unions to take him up on his “jobs for savings” offer, which asks the CSEA to make the same health care contributions as agreed to by the state CSEA and use those savings to minimize layoffs. Contributions at the state levels would save
“Our county workers do a great job and I want to keep as many of them employed as possible,” said Astorino. “But the unions have to help. Meaningful health care contributions will keep more people employed. That’s the jobs for savings plan. But each month that goes by without an agreement will only lead to more layoffs. ”
