CSEA Monroe County employees delcare contract impasse

CSEA Declares Contract Impasse with Monroe County
 

Rochester— The Civil Service Employees Association Monroe County Unit 7400, Monroe County’s largest public service union, has declared a contract impasse today with its employer. Impasse was declared with the New York State Public Employment Relations Board after the negotiating team polled members and determined that a final contract could not be reached without assistance from a mediator. CSEA hopes the intervention of a neutral third party will be able to break the county’s refusal to negotiate in good faith and bring both sides to a fair and equitable agreement.

CSEA’s collective bargaining agreement with Monroe County expired on December 31, 2013 at midnight. The county has refused to honor its meeting requirements and have told workers that their position on contract details have not changed since the Brooks administration. The last negotiation meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 21. Union leaders got a call late afternoon on Thursday, March 17 only to find out county officials unilaterally canceled the meeting with no just cause. Currently, one out of eight full time bargaining units has a valid negotiated contract with the county.

"We are very disappointed that the county chose not to meet with us. With respect to terms and conditions of employment, county officials and their outsourced law firm are dictating-- not negotiating a fair and equitable deal," said Jim D’Amico, Unit President for the county workers.

In the past 8 years, county workers have only received a 2 percent cost of living adjustment, well below the threshold for the consumer price index and rates of inflation. During the same time period, some top county management officials have garnered a 21 percent wage increase during the same time period.

D’Amico added, "In our last contract, workers made big concessions and got nothing in return. Morale is at an all-time low. However, we are ready, willing and able to get back to the table and hammer out a fair contract. Unfortunately, in my opinion the county is more concerned about keeping an outsourced law firm on retainer than making sure county workers have the support and resources necessary to deliver the high quality services our county residents have come to know, love and respect. Our members decided that impasse was the best course of action."

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CSEA is New York State’s leading union, representing employees of New York State and its counties, towns, villages, school districts, library systems, authorities and public corporations. Together with a growing population of private sector members and retirees, CSEA forms a union 300,000 strong. It is also the largest affiliate (and Local 1000) of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) which, in turn, is one of the largest affiliates of the AFL-CIO.