City To State: Time To Change Binding Arb Rules

Is this going to be on here everyday? We get it cops and firemen are to blame for the horrible financial decisions this administration has made. What a joke. Where is the coverage of the firefighters on Lenox Street last night traipsing over ice mounds and perilous rooftops while removing a handicapped woman from her burning home? Thats what i want to read. These men and women do a job only a very select few could stomach. Not to mention many of whom pay their own money to take classes that improves their ability to protect this city who once respected them instead of slandering them at every turn. All over pensions which alot of them won't enjoy due to higher cancer rates, lower life life expectancies, and debilitating injuries. If you risk life and limb for twenty five to thirty years to help people day in and day out their should be something waiting for them at the end of their career. They also don't get social security as well. Full disclosure my son in law is a firefighter in New Haven. I have seen him leave his sons birthday party, miss Christmas, be completely exhausted from doing 12-15 calls some nights. What I haven't seen is him complain. He does a job he loves and performs it well. A satisfaction in knowing he helped someone that night or day.

Now he wants to change the rules, give me a break John, after you just settled three contracts in the last year with raises and everything.The city has no money but we have enough money to hire special lawyers out of new york, a new public relation people, and every chance you get your in the paper blaming all the ills of the city on the custodians,its getting old John.

Good for New Haven. Binding arbitration is a train wreck that has the unions essentially negotioting with themselves. Make 2011 the year we start talking honestly. This would be a start

Mr. Bass,

A waste of time KING JOHN.This will be DOA when it gets to Hartford.

P.S. Hey STREEVER is that your man State Rep. Roland Lemar with Mayor DeStefano.What'S with this DUDE!!!

The median income in New Haven is @$38K, the median income in CT (one of the richest states in the union) is @$67K. A retirement package offering a 50 year old $100K+ per year is out of line.

I have to mention this because the danger card is pulled so often. With all due respect to firefighters and policemen, theirs is not the most dangerous job in America; law enforcement just makes it into the top 10.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-15-most-dangerous-jobs-in-america-2010-3#no-7-driversales-workers-and-truck-drivers-9

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf

It was chicken... politicians,not unions,who demanded the right to strike be eliminated and replaced with binding arbitration in order to protect those same chicken... politicians from making hard decisions.Now those same chicken... politicians are again asking others to save them from making hard decisions.

Strikes by both public and private employees put the necessary pressure on both sides to make the hard decisions.Binding arbitration has been a complete failure.

Binding arbitration should end and the right to strike should be returned to all employees,both private and public, for the simple reason that it forces better outcomes and makes those responsible for the outcomes take responsibility for those outcomes instead of blaming the arbitration system.

3/5ths,
Roland is a much bigger man than myself. He has no problem working with people who he often disagrees with. While I would be loathe to appear with the Mayor in any capacity (and I am sure he feels the same way), I admire that Roland is able to work with people on both sides to ensure that the City he loves is treated well.

Regardless of who our Mayor is, we need someone to work with the State to see that PILOT is properly funded and that state policies do not limit our City. I'm pleased to see Roland and others working with the Mayor on that.

Mr. Mayor, you cry the economy, budget cut backs, 52 million dollar budget gap, pensions and healthcare and selling off garages and buildings. First your salary the last two years was $134,679 for 2008 and $134,353 for 2009. You want everyone to give back. Lets start with your salary. If you care so much about New Haven, give back $30,000. You could still live comfortable with $104,000. Your wife is a teacher, you won't starve. Second, you negotiated all prior union contracts and agreed to the terms binding the contract. Therefore, the only one to blame is YOU. Third, the Police Department has no confidence in their new Police Chief's. Guess who hired them...YOU. I think the citizens of New Haven should have a no-confidence vote for you Mr. Mayor. It's been 15 years of the city being mismanaged. It's time to step down if your not willing to sacrifice. Let's see how serious you are. Take a salary cut yourself and the citizens of New Haven might start to believe you really care. ...

posted by: streever on January 19, 2011 9:41am
3/5ths,
Roland is a much bigger man than myself. He has no problem working with people who he often disagrees with. While I would be loathe to appear with the Mayor in any capacity (and I am sure he feels the same way), I admire that Roland is able to work with people on both sides to ensure that the City he loves is treated well.

Regardless of who our Mayor is, we need someone to work with the State to see that PILOT is properly funded and that state policies do not limit our City. I'm pleased to see Roland and others working with the Mayor on that.

Remember this statement you send to me on Face Book.

Can you prove that Lemar is in any pocket?

Lemar should have said Say Cheese when he took this picture.I call itnot working with the mayor.I call it selling the people out.But Like I said this is how the crooked two party system you like works.Term Limits NOW!!!!!!

Connecticut teachers work 35 to 37.5 years until retirement. While I understand that police and firemen have high stress, life-threatening jobs, the job of a teacher can sometimes fall into those categories. Additionally, teachers must continuously upgrade their educational status at high expense, along with maintaining 90 hours of continuing educational units (C.E.U.s)within a 5 year period, in order to maintain their certification. It is not unreasonable to consider extending the amount of time for retirement eligibility for Police and Firefighters, bringing the amount of time closer to teacher requirements. That said, many municipalities are imposing spending caps on budgets so that cities spend within a range that does not drive taxpayers into bankruptcy or just plain sends them packing up for less tax confiscatory pastures.
Killing binding arbitration is not an answer. Teachers need to know that their work is valued and that promises made will be promises kept. Arbitrators are supposed to judge cases on the merits of the cases presented-not on whether they want to be rehired-which I assert, is a red herring inserted by the mayor. Like all familes coping with tightening budgets, the City needs to stop spending, cut the fat (and there is always fat), and learn to live within its means.

I agree with John. During this period of crisis, there should be a salary cap of $75,000 combined with a massive, across the board cut of all salaries and benefits of 10-20%. Dire circumstances call for dire measures.

Cutting pensions from $125k per year to $100k per year won't get us far enough in a city where the average income is less than a quarter of that.

Special exceptions to the salary cap could be made with specific Board of Aldermen approval, for example, in the case of the small number of high-performing employees whose skills are considered critical to the city's success (example: Rob Smuts - people like that should actually be paid more).

Some of the givebacks should be used to create homebuyer, renter and tuition incentive programs so that city employees actually choose to live here. Very few do - meaning we are exporting most of our tax dollars to the suburbs. Yale has homebuyer incentives and most of their employees live in the city as a result. Without addressing this problem, we will keep exporting our tax dollars to pay for enormous pensions and our city will go nowhere.

what a picture!

does anyone realize that those expensive pensions were given out by Democrats to get the union support in the elections of the past? So does anyone think those same politicians are going to get arbitration dropped since they depend on union support? You keep electing Democrats and you keep getting further in the hole.

Pensions wouldn't be outrageous if they had not been based on the last 3-5 years of salary including overtime. They should be based on base salary which would prevent someone retiring in his 50s making more in pension than they were in base. Plus pensions are extinct in the private sector where people are lucky if they can retire at 70. Yes police and firemen do great job and deserve to get a break in retirement, but maybe it should be based on bring up their salaries while they are working. Of course the unions always bemoan taking it out on the police and firemen, but the other public employee unions do just as well, don't risk their lives, can still retire early using the ridiculous pension formula of including overtime. This cannot continue.

I'd like to suggest that, when two parties which are "employees" of the public can't agree, the arbitration should be by the "employer." That is, disputes should be decided by binding arbitration by referendum. In my thought, the sides would each submit their "last best offer" and the citizenry would vote for one or the other. After all, they're the ones who will have to pay, whether in the form of tax expense or in the form of reduced service.

I am confused, was DeStefano elected Governor or was it Dan Malloy. Typical DeStefano move but this time he probably will get even less attention that he got from former Governor Rell.

Charity starts at home. How many city pensions will DeStefano receive when he leaves the mayor's office? and how much will he receive?

What is truly amazing, DeStefano talks like he's just taken office and inherited these problems. DeStefano has been in office for 17 years. He's prided himself as a good micro manager. He's the person who for all of those 17 years negotiated and approved these pensions. It's the same story with school reform what have you really done for New Haven in all of your tenure? The smoke screen is quickly evaporating John.

posted by: Truth Avenger on January 19, 2011 10:08am
Connecticut teachers work 35 to 37.5 years until retirement

You forgot Teachers don't receive Social Security.Also does this state have a Employees Fair Employment Act Call The Taylor Law,,Because if it does like I said This will be DOA when it gets to hartford.

What Is It?

The Public Employees Fair Employment Act, commonly known as the Taylor Law, is a labor relations statute covering most public employees in New York State — whether employed by the State, or by counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, public authorities or certain special service districts. It became effective September 1, 1967 and was the first comprehensive labor relations law for public employees in the State, and among the first in the United States. It is the legal foundation used by GOER in its negotiations with New York State's public employee unions


What Does It Do?

The Taylor Law:

•grants public employees the right to organize and to be represented by employee organizations of their own choice;
•requires public employers to negotiate and enter into agreements with public employee organizations regarding their employees' terms and conditions of employment;
•establishes impasse procedures for the resolution of collective bargaining disputes;
•defines and prohibits improper practices by public employers and public employee organizations;
•prohibits strikes by public employees; and
•establishes a state agency to administer the Law — The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB

A lot of states have this law. Read the rest.

Administration Of The Taylor Law

The New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) was created as an independent, neutral agency to administer the Taylor Law. The three member Board is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the State Senate. The Board's major responsibility is to act as an umpire in disputes arising under the Taylor Law. Other responsibilities include: administration of the Taylor Law statewide; resolution of representation disputes; provision of impasse resolution services; adjudication of improper practice charges; designation of management/confidential employees; determination of employee organization responsibility for striking and ordering forfeiture of dues and agency fee check-off privileges; and, administration of grievance and interest arbitration panels.

Resolution of Contract Disputes

•Mediation:
Generally under the Taylor Law there are four impasse resolution systems, and in each system, mediation is the required first step. Either or both parties may request mediation assistance by filing a "Declaration of Impasse" with PERB's Director of Conciliation. The mediator is appointed by the Director from PERB's full-time staff or its panel of per diem mediators. The mediator acts as liaison between the parties, and seeks to effect a settlement through persuasion and compromise.

•Fact-Finding:
If mediation fails to resolve the impasse, then Fact-Finding is the next step. The fact-finder may attempt to resolve the dispute through further mediation. If not, or if unsuccessful in that effort, the fact-finder then holds a hearing, takes testimony of witnesses, accepts briefs from the parties, and then makes a written, nonbinding recommendation for settlement to both parties. The Fact-Finder then makes the report and recommendations public within five days of transmission of the report to the parties.

•Binding Arbitration:
For New York State Police units, the procedure is similar to what the law provides for local police, fire fighters, and certain transit employees. The Taylor Law provides that if the dispute is not resolved in mediation, PERB, on petition of either party, will generally refer the dispute to arbitration. Arbitration for New York State Police units is restricted to issues directly related to compensation and the decision of the arbitrator is binding on both parties.

•Legislative Hearing:
In those instances where arbitration is not permitted, if one or both parties does not accept the fact-finding report in its entirety, then for public employees (with the exception of public employees of educational institutions, police, fire fighters and certain transit employees) the next step is a legislative hearing. The Governor's Office of Employee Relations submits to the Legislature a copy of the fact-finding report plus the agency's own recommendations for resolving the dispute. The employee organization may submit its recommendations for settling the dispute as well. A public hearing is then conducted by the Legislature or a legislative committee to hear the positions of both sides. The Legislature usually directs both parties to resume negotiations but occasionally, the legislature will choose to impose employment terms. Such imposition may be for no more than a single fiscal year. A legislative determination cannot change the terms of an expired agreement unless the employee organization has waived its right to stand on those terms.

•Conciliation:
Is mediation assistance which PERB may offer, at its discretion, if an impasse continues after a fact-finding report has been issued.

For additional information see Article 14 of the NYS Civil Service Law, which is the full text of the Taylor Law.

Of course, bankruptcy is ALSO an option...

@ Count
You are right, Finally something we agree on.

I find it interesting of sorts and very entertaining that the mayor never had a prayer to be the governor and yet he feels qualified to basically tell Dannel Malloy how to run the state.
I find it entertaining that the mayor lumps all employees in one bag no matter how hard they work or how little or much they make.
I find it entertaining that he nor his administration will not lead by example with any type of sacrifice.
I find it entertaining that this mayor is the only mayor in the state of CT that is attacking his employees every other day in the press. I do not see any other mayor doing this.
I find it interesting and entertaining that he is becoming repetitious with the same words over and over again. He is running his campaign off of the backs of others acting like he is the hero although he created most of these problems. He is no new comer.
I find it entertaining that this mayor is going to run out of fuel soon with his repetitious words and not all are buying into blaming it all on the employees.
No matter what he says, if the right candidate comes forward he will be gone and he knows it.
We need a mayor that talks less, uses the press less and actually does something constructive and positive. In fact by all his media hunger because he is running for re-election, he is discouraging new business and new potential residents to move to New Haven. After all why would they when the mayor wants people to believe his house is in a mess because he hired all these lazy,incompetent,selfish and low life people to service the residents of New Haven.
This mayor is the kiss of death to this city.

After years of underfunding the pension fund Johnny Boy realizes he is shooting himself in the foot. In a few years he will be collecting from it. Need to build it up. Let's leech on to the lowest paid workers in the weakest union and squeeze them for the cash. This plan doesn't seem to be working. Looks like the arbitration system may be doing its job.

I do like the purple tie, purple being the color of the Caesars. Nice try showing us who is in charge, but remember what happened to Rome.

I would like to comment on a few things here, please bear with me.

@ Interesting- You raise some very good points about the mayor which many people may not have recognized, including myself.

@ Truth Avenger- I tell you what, give police officer's and firefighter's every summer, holiday, spring break, winter break, snow day ect. off and allow them to have a work schedule that is strictly 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday so that they can be home with their families at night just like teachers. Maybe then your proposal to raise the years of service for retirement for New Haven police and fire might not sound as you say "unreasonable." Also, police and fire have "certifications" that they must maintain every year...i.e. EMT and paramedic licenses, shooting qualifications, legal updates ect. which require hours of classroom time, usually on days off, so teachers are not the only ones maintaining certifications.

In addition, there are only a few hundred police officer's and firefighter's in New Haven. How many school's exist in New Haven? I understand New Haven has more schools that Hartford and Bridgeport combined. How much tax payer money was spent on building these schools? How many educational workers are employed by the City of New Haven to staff all these schools? Educational workers in New Haven far exceed the amount of police officer's and firefighter's combined. Teacher's receive higher salaries than police and fire and are entitled to health benefits and pensions as well. So let's not be one-sided on why the city has such a large deficit. Let's at least be somewhat fair please. This is not an attack on teachers in New Haven but an attempt to display all the facts.

@ Robn, Jschmidt and Mayor Destefano- I want to clarify a few things that you may not know or may have forgotten. During the last police contract, it was agreed that all police officers hired after 2009 work a mandatory minimum of twenty physical years. The pension at the end of their career would be 50% OF THEIR BASE SALARY NOT INCLUDING OVERTIME, which many of you are suggesting now. Many other city employees have this same retirement package. The 100k pensions for New Haven police were a rare benefit of the past, that Destefano agreed to, and were never the norm. Fire and Police Chief's have individual contracts negotiated with the city and are not included under the same plan as the rank and file.

Also, every New Haven Police Officer gave up the option to retire in 15 years in combination with military time last contract as well. Just to point out, Assistant Chief Melendez's option to retire at a step up above his base salary (i.e. $124,500.00) also no longer exists. Never mind that the man was an Assistant Chief and worked as a police officer in New Haven for 33 years. Hmmm....33 years.....hear that TruthAvenger?

Mayor Destefano- Like Investigator stated, all of the retirement benefits for the NHPD that you stated to Paul Bass in this article, that YOU originally agreed to, NO LONGER EXIST for remaining members. Please stop stating otherwise to enrage the public during a financial crisis that you partly caused. The NHPD is one of the lowest paid departments in the State of Connecticut. Does anyone know that the police contribute to their own pension, how many others do the same? The NHPD made major reforms to their last contract to reduce pension benefits to give back to the City of New Haven. It's time to look elsewhere for money.

Just the facts... you are entitled to your own opinions- but not your own set of facts... You have done a great job of caricaturing a teacher's work schedule. Now the TRUTH: Teachers bring work home every night and work long hours correcting papers, planning , or just making phone calls to parents..8 to 4 is a myth. (And they don't make gobs of cash for overtime like police padding their retirement in the process... They attend staff meetings well into the late afternoon and even have to report for parent conferences, open houses and other events throughout the school year and at night. So called "summers off" are often spent pursuing additional academic degrees (which they finance to the tune of thousands) or courses and CEUS, or working second jobs to augment what are not the best salaries for professionals with their respective educations. When you weigh a retirement period of 20 years for Police, verses 37.5 years for teachers, I think you come up way short as to the amount of time required for retirement.
One last thought... were you stand before an urban class of 25 or 30 for even one class period- let alone 5 days a week, you would understand the necessity of having those holidays and seasonal breaks in the calendar. Most people- including Police- could not withstand the physical and emotional rigor required of the classroom teacher in dealing with social-emotional as well as educational issues every moment of the day.

In regard to the pension benefits... really? Can you please point out where in the contract is says that. I read pages 36-44 multiple times. Now I am not a lawyer (but I do read contracts all the time) but it seems like there is still a sick time buy back to increase pension benefits.

@ Truth Avenger

It's too bad the first part of your name doesn't exist in your rebuttal.

Let me begin, not only have you completely avoided any of my questions about the number of teachers in New Haven, cost of building/repairing schools in New Haven, teacher salaries or teacher pensions and benefits, you have made some ridiculous statements here as well. Please allow me to reply to your comments.

You claim that "Police- could not withstand the physical and emotional rigor required of the classroom teacher in dealing with social-emotional as well as educational issues every moment of the day."

Why are we getting personal? Police have to deal with the very same students you teach after the school day is over. Police Officer's in general, but especially in New Haven, endure physical and emotional rigor daily in their jobs. Most of the time, that "rigor" involves life and death incidents. Either in a foot chase with a rape suspect, consoling a victim of a shooting on scene or helping a drug addict receive treatment, there are several "physical and emotional rigor's" that a police officer deals with. Do I really need to emphasize any more on this topic? For examples of these "physical and emotional rigors," refer to the "cop of the week" series that the New Haven Independent offers and read a few articles. Please, be reasonable in the statements you make.

You stated "Teachers bring work home every night and work long hours."

So, robbery and homocide detectives that are called in during the middle of the night for an incident or who work on cases in the quiet of their home do not bring their work home? Bringing work home is in some form or another a reality for a lot of modern careers. Police are called in to testify on their days off, do teachers do that? Police are often held well past their shifts are over for serious incidents that occur on their beat. I won't even begin to discuss the emotional strain that encountering some of the horendous crimes that take place in New Haven non-stop have on a police offcer. Let's continue...

You say "they don't make gobs of cash for overtime like police padding their retirement in the process."

Apparently you did not fully read my first post and I find that offensive as I have paid you the respect to read comment completely. As a teacher, I feel as though I shouldn't have to say that. Police hires in New Haven no longer have the opportunity to "pad" their pension with overtime or have the next rank up retirment bump, this was sacrificed for the city during this financial crisis, what have the teachers sacrificed in their contract? You have completely avoided all of my questions in my first post and I would like you to get the "truth" out. I have listed nothing but "facts" regarding the current New Haven police contract in my first post so I don't know why you say I'm talking subjectively.

Please stay on topic and remain professional in your response. This is not a comparison of who does more, teachers vs. police, both are critical roles in society. I would like to know what the teachers have sacrified in their contracts recently as I have listed what the police have sacrificed. Mayor Destefano has made a promise to education, where is the promise to public safety, i.e. fire and police? Let's hear the "truth."

@JUST THE FACTS: You state that,
"This is not a comparison of who does more, teachers vs. police, both are critical roles in society." Yet your previous posts did exactly that-you compared Police to teachers-suggesting that teachers have way too much time off... Your description of teacher schedules was a erroneous- and I corrected the record. You went on a long tear comparing what Police do with what teachers do. I stand by what I said- moreover, you don't get to frame the argument... I am not I obligated to respond to your whole thesis nor do I have any interest in doing such. I will say in defense of teachers that their profession not unlike police, is by definition, a sacrifice. They did not create the fiscal quagmire in which the city finds itself and they are not responsible for bailing it out. Their contracts and retirement packages are not in any way extravagant. Go back to the central idea here: Police retirement after 20 years...Teacher retirement after 37.5.years. Do the math and then mind your own advice to be professional in your reply-this I submit, was a little personal-don't you think:
@ Truth Avenger
"It's too bad the first part of your name doesn't exist in your rebuttal."

Harry Truman said "the buck stops here." But now the Mayor is blaming an unfair binding arbitration system?? The state took away the right of public employees to strike and replaced it with binding arbitration. The arbitrators call them as they see them, and they've often seen it more for the city's position. The last round of contracts the Mayor settled without ever even going to arbitration. This continual bashing of public employees is shameless. Yes, Mr. Mayor, arbitration is like going to court - there is no guarantee that your viewpoint will prevail. Is the only fair system one that you can completely control?

Mayor DeStefano stood in front of several unions last year and said that he welcomed arbitration because a factor would be the city's "ability to pay", thus putting the city in a stronger position against the unions. Now he wants to have the State change arbitration?! What a hypocrite!