Orangetown Board Approves Union Contract

The Orangetown Council voted unanimously to approve a new, six-year contract with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) during the regular meeting Tuesday night at town hall.

The CSEA had been operating without a contract since the end of 2010. The new deal is retroactive to 2011 and includes pay raises of 2.35 percent for 2013, 2.45 percent for 2014 and 2.5 percent for 2015 and 2016. The union did not receive any raises for 2011 and 2012.

The union membership had already voted to accept the new contract, which also increases the portion of the amount of money they pay toward health insurance and reduces their number of sick days. Union members must now have 15 years in for retirement benefits, an increase from 10. 

"Obviously, there are tradeoffs involved in any settlement," Orangetown Supervisor Andy Stewart said. "Having two zeroes and modest increases over time and playing more into insurance and having fewer leave days seemed like a fair compromise."

Councilman Denis Troy said including no raises for 2011 and 2012 was a key part of the deal. 

"To take two zeroes (no increase for 2011 and 2012), that's a tough pill to swallow for a union," Councilman Denis Troy said. "That was a big bone of contention in the early meetings. The economic reality of 2011 and 2012 had to sink in with union leadership, but at the same time the union leadership had to represent the best ability of their members. They did a terrific job doing that."

Troy and Councilman Tom Diviny had been very involved in negotiations for three year.

"I think it was fair to town workers," Diviny said. "they got an increase they worked hard for. We got stability and stayed under the cap."

The union and the town had come close in recent months, but the most recent attempts to settle the long-standing impasse had fallen apart. 

"It's been a long, rough three years to get here," said CSEA President Keith Brenner. "We appreciate all the effort. It is an honor and a privilege to work for the taxpayers of Orangetown."

"It was a compromise," Councilman Paul Valentine said. "We both walked away a little aggravated, which means it worked out well. It comes out to about 1.6 percent increase per year over six years. CSEA gave a little and the town gave a little and I think it worked out well."

There was some discussion of which members of the town board played a larger role in the negotiations. Troy asked that Stewart allow Diviny to make the motion on the resolution in that light. 

This is the third unsettled labor situation to finally be resolved in just over a year in Orangetown. The Orangetown Council approved a new contract with the PBA late in June 2012. Just last month, Orangetown agreed to new contracts with Orangetown Police management. As with the CSEA, the Orangetown Police and police management had been working under their deals from 2010 until the settlements were reached.