Our Views: Kaiman sees end to wage freeze

The Island Now

At last there appears to be a light at the end of the county employee-wage-freeze tunnel. 

For years this confrontation has threatened to bankrupt the county. If that happens, everyone, including the county workers, loses.

Jon Kaiman, the new chairman of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, has made a proposal that would bring an end to the county’s three-year wage freeze if the unions will agree to givebacks.

 To be sure at the moment this is far from a done deal. The unions have been fighting in court for back wages that they rightfully contend were owed to them. And even if the unions agree to Kaiman’s proposal, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and the NIFA board will also have to agree.

The plan proposed by the former Town of North Hempstead supervisor would remove the current countywide wage freeze in exchange for each of the unions waiving cost-of-living increases for 2011, 2012 and 2016. The 2013 cost of living increase would be deferred non-compounded until 2016.

Under the plan the union workers would be paid whatever their current rate of pay would be had the wage freeze not been imposed. The unions would then vote on a new contract in 2016. The workers would not get back pay for the time the wage freeze was in place.

Kaiman argues there has been a negative financial impact associated with the wage freeze. He said the freeze has resulted in understaffing and problems maintaining experienced staff. For example, he said, the county is currently paying between $50 million and $60 million annually for police overtime because the department is understaffed.

In a memo released earlier this month, Kaiman said no county police officers have put in for promotions to detective this year. “If you don’t have enough detectives, what’s the cost of not finding a perpetrator?” he wrote.

Under Kaiman’s proposal workers would have to agree to withdraw their legal challenge to the county’s waiver of cost-of-living increases between 2011 and 2016 and the unions would have to agree to contribute to the pension plans.

Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, Mangano and NIFA will have to determine whether the county has enough money to fund Kaiman’s proposal.

It is in everyone’s interest – especially the taxpayer’s – to make this sort of compromise work, even though all sides will have to hammer out the details. In the alternative, if the unions win everything that they are fighting for in court, everyone loses. 

The county most likely will face bankruptcy followed by layoffs and a reduction in services.

No one wants that to happen. Kaiman has brought a new and welcome energy to NIFA that has been butting heads with Mangano. 

For everyone’s sake, we wish him success.

Share this Article