Even Without New Contracts, Many Public Employees Get Raises

[Gerald]

ALBANY — Public employees are working without contracts in cities and counties across New York State, as labor negotiations stall because local governments say they cannot afford to raise wages. But many union members are still taking home larger paychecks, thanks to a state law that allows workers to continue receiving longevity-based salary increases after their contracts expire.

The pattern is seen throughout the state. All labor contracts in Albany, New Rochelle and Yonkers have expired. So have seven of nine contracts in Syracuse, six of eight in Buffalo and most of the contracts in New York City.

And the same trend is unfolding at the county level. The New York State Association of Counties surveyed 17 counties at the request of The New York Times and found that 41 of 67 labor contracts had expired. Each side blames the other for the holdup. But it is clear that in many cases, unions are strategically deciding they are better off stalling negotiations now, given the grim financial picture. That is partly because New York’s 30-year-old Triborough Amendment guarantees that the terms of public labor contracts remain in place even after they expire.

In Westchester County, where all eight labor contracts have expired, the executive, Robert P. Astorino, a Republican, has sought to have union members pay a share of their health care costs. But in December, the county’s largest union, the Civil Service Employees Association, balked and declared negotiations at an impasse.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/ny...l?ref=nyregion


Note: April 10, 2012