Unions negotiating with town
Both sides say they're trying to avoid layoffs
0 comments below
Union leaders are expected to meet with town officials again this week to discuss how the town can avoid laying off 17 workers.
Town Councilman Albert Krupski said no specific ideas were discussed during the town's meeting last Thursday with representatives of the Civil Service Employees Association.
"The positive thing is that we've been asking to meet with the [CSEA] union since last October, and now, the union has offered us the olive branch," said Mr. Krupski, who participated in part of the meeting. "There were no specifics discussed at the meeting. It was more of an informational meeting."
Termination letters were issued last week to the affected employees. But the layoffs won't take effect until Aug. 1, officials said.
"Everything has been set in place for [the layoffs] to happen, but that's the last resort," Mr. Krupski said. "We need to somehow figure out a way squeeze money out of town government."
The layoffs were necessitated by a $1 million budget deficit, which had resulted from a shortfall in mortgage tax and interest earnings revenues, town officials said. Town Supervisor Scott Russell has repeatedly warned that there could be additional layoffs.
CSEA spokesman Rich Impagliazzo would only confirm that union leaders are meeting with the town.
"We're not talking about any specifics," he said.
Tom Skabry, president of Southold's CSEA Unit 8785, said that he doesn't think the way the town is trying to solve its budget gap -- or the way the layoffs have been handled -- is "positive or right."
"It's our interpretation that the town is messing with the workers" to get what it wants, Mr. Skabry said.
Aquaculture lease program Suffolk County planning director Tom Isles will discuss the county's aquaculture leasing program with town officials Tuesday during the Town Board's morning work session meeting, officials said.
Town Trustees have voiced their concern that certain bays could be overcrowded with buoys that would mark the boundaries of the bay bottom plots and fishing gear left behind by shellfish farmers leasing the underwater land.
The western side of Little Peconic Bay, in particular, is inundated with dozens of bay bottom plots, according to maps issued by the county.
"There'd be no place for anyone else to go," said James King, one of the trustees. Boats would have a hard time navigating the bay without constantly colliding with buoys and equipment, he added.
The bay, Trustee Dave Bergen said, "is a natural resource that belongs to everyone."
Mr. Krupski said that Mr. Isles will address the town's concerns.
"We need assurance that the program won't turn into something that we regret," the councilman said.
bharmon@timesreview.com
The Suffolk Times is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. The Suffolk Times does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The Suffolk Times. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Service and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
0 comments found
