In the wake of blowback from aldermen and unions on controversial pay hikes for top staff, the city administration stood firm Tuesday.
A total of 41 executive management and confidential employees are due to receive mostly 3 percent wage hikes in paychecks by next Friday. Aldermen and unions blasted the move in announcements Monday night.
Tuesday, Sean Matteson, the mayor’s chief of staff, said the city will not bend to aldermen’s request to rescind the pay raises. He issued this statement:
“The cost of living adjustments are going to move forward and we look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Board of Aldermen. These 41 employees, many of which are New Haven residents, went 2 and 1/2 years without a cost of living increase.
“Their defined benefit plan was eliminated and they have moved to a defined contribution/401k plan,” he wrote. (Note: Only new hires will be switched to a defined contribution plan, according to Emmett Hibson, director of organizational development.)
“Over 3,000 unionized workers received raises and they earned them,” wrote Matteson. “For any of the union leaders that feel the increase that 41 employees received was unjust, if they are willing to go two years without salary increases and switch to a defined contribution plan we’d be happy to guarantee a no layoff clause.”
Meanwhile, city spokesman Adam Joseph revealed where the money is going to come from to finance for the pay raises, which are not included in the budget that took effect July 1. He said the extra money would come from transfers within each respective departmental budget — a move that will likely not require aldermen’s approval.