Is the Finch administration blood-sucking jackals preying on the little people of city unions, or pragmatic bean counters trying to close a multi-million dollar budget hole nearly six months into the budget year.
Several union members say they were blindsided by layoffs issued to 15 LIUNA (Laborers International Union of North America) workers last week (actually 14 after a pink slip to a Veterans’ Affairs driver was pulled back). Discussions about union concessions, on top of what employees have given up in recent years, have not taken place in several weeks. Unionized employees say the mayor’s team doesn’t know the value of working with employees to find savings.
The layoff timing during the holidays appears to be giving many union members pause who don’t want their fellow workers out of a job Jan 1. LIUNA has a 30-day layoff notice in its contract with the city. LIUNA has 104 Bridgeport government employees. The city is seeking $350,000 in concessions from a combination of increases in health care premiums and furlough days. The city wants members to contribute 25 percent toward health care premiums. That amounts to roughly $3,300 per person. If a union worker is making $25K to $30K, and many fall within that pay scale, that’s a big hit. We’re all paying that amount, says management. The difference is most city managers make more than $100K.
Now that Labor Relations Deputy Director Tom McCarthy has returned from a government forum last week in Colorado, discussions to work out concessions and avoid layoffs will resume.
I hope Tom McCarthy isn’t Lennie’s Secret Santa in the office Christmas Grab Bag.
Tom will tell Lennie I don’t have anything to do with any of that. But then again what does Labor Relations do?
Has anyone realized yet that Tommy Mac is the joke of this comedic city??? +++ Forgetaboutit.
Was listening to the radio on my way to work this a.m. and they said Bpt/Stamford was the 6th smartest city area in the country ~~~ to which the radio host said it can’t be ’cause they can’t even count ballots “` what a COMEDIC city.
This administration knew there was an $8 million deficit built into this budget when it was put together and that’s over a year ago.
The councils budget committee held sham hearings and did not reduce 1 single department’s budget. They returned the mayor’s budget to him with the same $8 million deficit they got it with.
They have done very little in trying to reach an agreement with LIUNA. They did propose a giveback of 19 days would be a starting point. The Christmas time was done for effect and nothing more. Does anyone really think this administration and/or McCarthy give a shit about the employees or their families?
Nice we have layoff notices going out and McCarthy is in Denver on our dime learning What???
He had no problem negotiating himself and his office staff healthy raises this year. I hope McCarthy and the other 9 enjoyed Denver while the employees who received layoff slips worried about paying their bills and feeding their families. You all need to understand that this budget deficit is only on the lower employee pay scale and not at the upper level pay scale.
town committee // Dec 6, 2010 at 3:41 pm
The point you raised that I think needs clarifying. This deficit is being reduced … if at all … on the backs of those employees in the lower pay scales. Is this the gist of it?
Carolanne: My point is that the employees and not the appointees are paying for this deficit one way or the other. The one department that hoodwinked these dummies was the police department. They put in this latest budget $6 million for OT and when it came time for givebacks they said Okay we will give back $2 million in OT knowing full well that at the end of the budget year if they are out of OT money in the PD the city will be forced to find the necessary funds. Smart Smart move!!!
Givebacks to date: Police – 0, Fire – 0, Teachers – 0, Bd of Ed Administrators – 0, NAGE union – 0. Why is it that the same unions and the same employees get hit again and again?
The three stooges of the ‘port, Larry, Tom ‘n’ Finchy. They rob the poor to give to the rich. The Liuna members need to stick together and vote NO to any givebacks! Once bumping comes into play there are going to be some Finch friends who get bumped right out of city hall. Just say NO!!!
I assume the $350,000 is LIUNA’s target figure which Tom Sherwood calculated for every union and the group of unaffiliated/political appointees. Supposedly every group/employee is being asked to give back an equal share. So if a $30,000/yr union member is being asked to give back $3,300, that is more than 10% of his salary. If the Sherwood formula is applied equally, then Mayor Finch, Adam Wood, Andy Nunn and Tom Sherwood himself would be giving back $11,500 (based on an average salary of $115,000). Lennie, can we get proof that they made these concessions? I think not. That tells me Sherwood’s formula is being unfairly applied to the lower-paid employees.
What is Sherwood’s formula?
Has he told anyone?
The Finch administration seems to be targeting the weaker unions first. I wonder if that is because the majority of its members are women? It is certainly something that should be looked at. In regards to the PD their giveback is considered by these bunglers to be the $2 million in OT funds they gave back. They think people don’t know the original figure was a staged number, funny no one on the budget committee questioned that number of $6 million.
TC, have you ever attended a budget committee meeting? They believe every word Tom Sherwood tells them. They question nothing. This includes budget chair Bob Curwen whom I believe you know. The budget hearings are a perfect place for a “real” CitiStat to make recommendations. Too bad the real CitiStat left with John and Carolanne.
TC, regarding your comment about weaker unions and their women members. My wife says you’re sexist. But I agree that women are more sensitive and are quicker to come to the rescue of their fellow union members, especially during the holidays. My wife would take the food off our table if she thought someone else were hungry. That’s not such a bad thing. Finch and his cronies could learn something from women like this.
CHS I don’t believe tc is being sexist this the way Tom Sherwod and the boy’s club think they live mentally in the Fifties they are not supporters of equal rights amendment equal pay for equal work as far as they are concerned woman should not be treated equally your wife should know that as should every woman who works for this administration. Vote no to givebacks and let bumping begin the union should stand up to these male chauvinist pigs and take them down, this comes from a male, me. Show them you mean business bring on the rat most times sacrifices must be made because if you continue to fold they always come back to feed off of those they perceive to be weak. Fight the fight because if you don’t they will own you, believe it.
CHS: I have attended budget hearings held by Curwen & Company and in my opinion they are a sham. This last round of budget hearings was a perfect example. The budget committee cut no one’s budget and sent the budget back to Finch just as he sent it to them. When a resident goes to the budget hearing it’s hard to follow because you are not given a copy of the budget being discussed.
To answer your question I do know Curwen in fact I primaried him and Paoletto but lost. I think Curwen has done the city and its residents a disservice by not doing his job as co-chair of the budget committee.
I am sorry your wife thinks I am a sexist. If she has read past posts she would have seen that I came on strongly in defense of women let go by this administration. I knew when I wrote that about the weakest unions first that I would be accused of sexism. Nothing could be further from the truth.
*** Seems pink slips & a free turkey during the holidays is becoming a regular tradition with this admin, no? *** God bless us all, everyone! ***