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Perseverance pays off
for Monroe County Water Authority contract action team
ROCHESTER — After 40 months
of difficult and often contentious negotiating, aided by a fact-finding report that both sides agreed upon, the CSEA represented employees at the Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA) are finally celebrating a hard-fought contract victory that will bring some much-needed relief to a weary workforce.
The unit, which is part of Monroe County Local, includes diverse
and talented employees who work as engineers, heavy equipment operators, vehicle fleet maintenance mechanics and many other jobs.
The members recently ratified their contract by more than a 2-1 margin. The authority’s Board of Directors took the final step and unanimously approved the deal on May 10 at their monthly board meeting.
Dave Pitoni, foreman of distribution and our Monroe County Water Authority Unit president since 2011, said the negotiations
were difficult and casued many sleepless nights.
“We fought a
lot of concessions
the employer
wanted us to
accept, such as
drastic cuts in our
benefits package
and a large
increase in the cost of affordable health insurance, but we stayed strong,” Pitoni said. “We were able to diplomatically beat back those cuts and takeaways by using all our resources from CSEA staff departments, including contract administration and our Legal Department.”
Pitoni also added that he and
his co-workers’ commitment to the residents they serve drive everything they do, and they kept that in the forefront of all of the negotiations and external communications during the stalled contract talks.
According to the 2018 fiscal budget, the authority’s total operating revenue exceeds $70.9 million and serves more than 200,000 customer accounts in Western New York. It also provides the City of Rochester with up to 26 million gallons per day for distribution within its retail service area.
Pitoni said knowing the financials and budget data of the employer helped with negotiations.
“We knew our talking points
and proposals were valid and reasonable,” he said. “It also helped when our union’s Legal Department filed FOIL requests on our behalf. While the process seemed like it would never end, we trusted the calendar and sure enough we got it done. I’m glad we finally came to an
agreement while providing a wage package that allows our members to maintain and prosper during these uncertain economic times.”
Employees covered under the new deal will be able to maintain affordable health care coverage for themselves and their families. However, new hires can expect to pay a slightly higher percentage of future health care cost premiums.
The new contract also includes
a generous across the board wage increase and other enhancements such as positive changes to the emergency call-out system, vacations can be taken in half-days and an added longevity tier.
The eight year deal expires Dec. 31, 2022.
— Ove Overmyer
Mount Vernon ruling upholds contract language
MOUNT VERNON — While workers
in non-union jobs are at the whims
of their employers, union members know that the language in their union contracts protect them from that fate.
Just ask CSEA members from our Mount Vernon Public Library Unit.
A recent state Supreme Court ruling required an arbitrator to order management to adhere to an equity clause negotiated long ago in the library unit’s contract, which stated that contractual wages for library workers must match those of the CSEA members in a separate bargaining unit at City Hall.
CSEA regional attorney Nathaniel Charny, who handed the case, said the ruling was a significant win.
For years, library management has refused to honor that clause in
negotiations, something that was written into the contract in the early 1990s, but had been in practice since the late 1970s. As a result, workers have gone five years without a salary increase and management has used taxpayer funds to fight the fairly- negotiated contract language.
“The legal fees are enormous,” said Mount Vernon Public Library Unit President Gary Newman, a research librarian. “I’m sure the people of Mount Vernon would much prefer to have their money spent
on books, programs, and computer services, and, yes, on a fair salary increase for library workers. We need to move on.”
The court ruling was welcome news to unit members, who have showed their solidarity during
the long negotiations process
and recently began wearing CSEA T-shirts to work each day to spark conversation about the dispute.
“I hope this ends it,” said CSEA member Nishan Stepak, a librarian. “We should all be working together, not fighting. But if we have to keep fighting, we will.”
As this edition went to press, Newman was unsure if library officials planned to appeal the judge’s ruling, but he said hoped the decision means workers are closer to receiving long overdue raises.
“We really need our money,” said CSEA member Robert Copeland,” a maintenance worker. “I only hope the library stops fighting us.”
— Jessica Ladlee
Chris Williams, secretary-treasurer of the Mount Vernon Public Library Unit, promotes the unit’s contract campaign by wearing a custom T-shirt to work each day.
Pitoni
June 2018
The Work Force 7