Town agrees on new six-year union contract

Rebecca Klar
The Town of Hempstead Board announces a new six-year contract with the CSEA at Tuesday's meeting. (Photo by Rebecca Klar)

The Town of North Hempstead agreed on a new six-year contract with the Civil Service Employees Association, Supervisor Judi Bosworth announced at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting.

The contract, which will run from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2022, will cover the town’s approximately 345 employees in the CSEA.

Union employees will receive a 1.5 percent one-time payment, which will not be added to their base pay, in 2017 and 2019. In 2018 and 2020, they will receive a 1.75 percent wage increase. They will receive an annual 2 percent increase during the final two years of the contract.

The union membership ratified the contract last Friday, Carole Trottere, a town spokeswoman said.

“All of the changes reflect the numerous hours spent by my senior staff and our union leadership in order to present a fair agreement that we can all be proud of,” Bosworth said.

The prior contract expired last December, and the town and union had been discussing the new contract for most of this year.

Under the contract new employees can be assigned to certain shifts to allow more flexibility, the town said. New employees also accrue two fewer vacation days each year, resulting in savings for the town.

New employees will also contribute 25 percent toward medical and dental insurance.

“I believe this contract promotes stability in our workforce,” Bosworth said.

Nick LaMorte, CSEA Long Island region president, said he is proud to support the contract ratification, according to a town press release.

“I think it is a very fair and equitable agreement for the Town, its residents and the CSEA members who provide these services,” LaMorte said, according to the release.

Efforts to reach him were unavailing.

At Monday’s meeting the board also voted to set a public hearing for Dec. 19 to consider a law that would set a moratorium on development in the Waterfront Business District.

Two Port Washington residents said the date does not give residents enough time to consider the issue.

“We’re not against the moratorium per se. We’re just in the dark on this,” one resident said. “Waterfront is primary in Port Washington, it’s our identity. Anything concerning the waterfront really concerns us very much.”

Councilwoman Dina M. De Giorgio said the public hearing does not mean that a decision on the moratorium will be made that day, and residents are welcome to come and voice concerns.

If voted in, De Giorgio said the six-month moratorium will be like “hitting the pause button,” and keep the status quo on waterfront development as the board reconsiders the current regulations.

 

Share this Article