General News: Washingtonville DPW Workers Push for Contract
|
| DPW employees Al Mann (l) and Chris VanRiper want the village to approve their new contract. |
|
| The union activists brought this inflatable rat to the temporary quarters of Washingtonville village hall. |
January 10, 2012
By Nancy Peckenham
The giant inflatable rat came to Washingtonville Monday evening, transported to the temporary location of the village hall by a group of union activists and village employees who are upset about working without a contract for nearly three years.
The attention-getting inflatable rat was intended to focus on the failure of the village board to agree to a new contract for seven employees of the Department of Public Works. Teamster union negotiator Sandra Shaddock says that the union thought it had a final agreement, which was approved by the members in early December.
However, when the village board met in late December, the proposed contract was tabled by a vote of 3-2. Mayor Kevin Hudson and his deputy mayor supported the settlement, which had been worked out with a mediator over several months but Trustees Dave Heintz, Joe Galante, and Jackie Pollman, who have sparred with the mayor over other issues, rejected the deal.
The trustees discussed the issue again at Monday’s board meeting, where some 50 union supporters chanted ‘no justice, no peace,’ while trustees met in executive session. A new meeting with the union is now set for next month.
DPW employee Al Mann said that he was upset because the village had agreed in mediation talks to a final contract, then took it back. Union representative Shattuck believes that dysfunction on the village board has derailed the contract. “The workers are going to work every day and they are caught in a battle between the mayor and the board,” she said.
Comments:
No comments have been posted.
Add a Comment:
Please signup or login to add a comment.
|
 |
|
