Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Union President urges citizens to support Mayor's Budget Thursday

Letter to the Eye:


The Common Council is meeting on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 8:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of City Hall to propose and pass their budget for the next fiscal year. I am writing as a City of Middletown employee and member of the Local 466 Executive Board. I realize that I’ve now just opened the door for a slew of venomous posts against city workers and in particular union workers. I also have a last name that ends in a vowel so of course I must have gotten my job by “knowing” someone. Might as well cover that at the start.


My purpose in writing is to urge the people of Middletown to support the Mayor’s budget in that it moves the classified union positions from the Board of Education budget to the City’s budget. These employees are part of the classified system, hired and fired through the Mayor’s office. These employees are paid under the City of Middletown’s federal tax identification number. These employees, both unions 466 and MMPA, are covered by the collective bargaining contracts that are negotiated through the Mayor. The same amount of salary will be paid to the employees whether they are paid by the Board of Education or by the City; it’s set by the union contracts. The benefits are the same whether paid by the BOE or the City. However, when preparing the budget, the City identifies each employee and positions and budgets, as exactly as possible, the amount to be paid to that employee, then puts a certain percentage into a line item called salary reserve. This percentage is used to make up for changes in personnel; for example, should an employee leave or retire, generally their replacement is hired at a lower starting salary. This would leave that line item with a surplus at the end of the year. But perhaps in another department, a position is reclassified and the employee given a salary adjustment, this additional needed by the line item would come out of the salary reserve. The Board of Education does not budget using a salary reserve line; they budget full salary. The Superintendent of Schools has stated that if these positions are moved out of his budget, he will have no other place to go if he needs money. My question is then, is there a surplus of funds in his line item in the budget? If no surplus, then I would assume that he’s going to achieve a surplus of funds in that line item from layoffs?

466, the union representing the majority of the classified employees at the BOE currently has something like 25 open grievances or labor action with the Board of Education that would be unnecessary in the past as they would have been handled with a phone cal or a meeting. However, the lines of communication have deteriorated so much that it is no longer possible to settle these issues at that low a level. We’ve several instances where grievances have been adjudicated and the BOE has refused to make the ruled adjustments whether monetary or not.

By moving the payroll for the classified employees to the City side of the budget, the BOE would then be treated like every other department in the City. The employees working for that department would be supervised and directed by the department head. The union contract would be applied equally and fairly to all members.

At the meeting for the departments to present their budget requests to the Council, the Superintendent of Schools referenced a state statute that basically limits the funding that a council can appropriate to a board of education so that it cannot be less than what was appropriated in 2009. The Mayor asked for a legal opinion from Shipman & Goodwin on this statute and although they cannot guarantee that there would not be a violation (I’ve never seen a doctor, lawyer or teacher for that matter, guarantee anything) they were confident that there would not be a violation of this statute. I’m attaching the opinion.

I’m being told that the budget to be proposed by the Democratic Council members does not support the Mayor’s budget with the positions being paid out of the City’s side but leaves the positions in the BOE’s budget. I am asking that the Council not do this at this time; once those funds are appropriated to the BOE they are no longer under the control of the Council. I am asking that they wait – let us get the necessary rulings from the State Department of Education and the State Department of Labor that we need to assuage their fears of a penalty. As you can see in the opinion, the determination of having shorted the BOE is made at the END of the fiscal year. They can move the positions to the City side and then change their minds and appropriate the funds to the BOE later.

Please urge the Council to do the right thing.

Thank you,

Linda Salafia

Chapter C President

Local 466

AFSCME

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find it ridiculous that the BOE has NO SAY in contract negotiations, discipline issues, hiring, firing and reviews of the "city employees" that they are forced to have due to the city charter. In this ecomony I am NOT feeling the love for the unions. I've witnessed too much BS. I'm sure there a few hard working people that do whatever needs to be done to get the job done. The fact is the city charter needs to be changed and the city and BOE need to be separated completely. The city is not in the business of education as is the BOE is not in the business of running a municipality.

Anonymous said...

Whoever told you the BOE has NO SAY in contract negotiations, discipline, hiring, firing, and reviews of "city employees", is completely wrong! They have all of the above. They also are included in the negotiation process, as are all other City departments....they just choose not to abide by the same rules concerning "City employees" after the contract is signed.

Anonymous said...

I wish anon commentor 1 had signed his name so icould qoute them in my next grievance showing discrimination based on union affiliation. I dare someone to askthe bow to publish a list of employees because it changes according to how one asks the question

Anonymous said...

I don't feel sorry for these union employees. As a taxpayer all we ask for is a full day's work for the money and benefits we pay you. I applaud the BOE for putting 8 hour coffee breaks to an end and letting us get the full day's work we pay for.

Anonymous said...

To the last anonymous poster- you have used the 8-hour coffee break line on the Middletown Press blog too in your berating of John and Debbie Milardo, both city employees, and in your praise for the BOE. It is obvious who you are angry with and that you are probably someone on the BOE themselves. No union worker gets an 8 hour coffee break, nor do the Milardos spend 8 hours a day together as you claim.

Anonymous said...

City Unions such as MMPA and 466 made/will make concessions this fiscal year and last - which means giving up something boys and girls- Some facts:

1.Because of concessions they will not get raises this year nor did they last year.

2.Because of concessions,they pay more for health insurance premium wise, and co pay wise.
Retirees pay for health insurance should they continue to take it
No tax payer money is put into pension funds. Again not free.

3.Despite urban myths, is no free lunch or coffee for City employees. There is no secret cafeteria in the basement- there are cash-money vending machines in city hall & a coffee pot upstairs that city employees bring in their own coffee and cups for.

4. There is no flex time, and all but necessary over time for police and emergency staff, not including plow drivers, has been cut from budget last year and this year.

5. On average, office employees work 8:30- 4:30 with a 1 hour lunch break and a 15 min morning coffee break. And its never been any more than that. That's a full day.

6. City vehicles are used for city business only, and anyone who violates this is disciplined.

Taxpayers get a full days work out of the employees; who's salaries are generally lower than that of the private sector equivalent, although in exchange for this lower wage, and union dues, unions bargain against lay offs and are sometimes successful. They call it "collective bargaining." Saturday and Sunday, also another perk brought to the public by Unions.

It is easy where in an recession those not in a union can be jealous of this protection and react with allegations of misconduct. Life is unfair, I'm sure everyone's job has its advantages and disadvantages.

Anonymous said...

As a taxpayer, parent, and city employee I find some of these comments very disturbing. I have seen how the board of education has misused funds, and abused their rights. I find the fact that the board of ed is fighting this audit a direct insult to parents and taxpayers. Why shouldn't the records be seen by anyone? What are you hiding? I have heard one to many times that "it is for the children". That's a load of crap!!! It all goes into the administrators pockets and to help benefit them. When the previous superintendent was in we never had any problems like this at all. Someone should take a close look at the council members that support this insanity. Wake up!!! There are only a few council members that have a clue and actually care what happens. Middletown was such a nice place to live, now it's turning into a complete nightmare. Mayor, I hope you read these comments, because I commend you on a job well done. It's about time someone took charge and stood up to the board of ed!!!