The only city councilor to oppose recent union contracts that the city is now trying to renogiate said Thursday his colleagues and Mayor Art Ward should have taken a harder line on the pay agreements.
Republican Ken Cockayne said the unions deserve kudos for returning to the bargaining table “when they don’t have to” in a bid to change terms to help taxpayers.
But, he said, “it’s unfortunate it had to come to this.”
Cockayne said the pay hikes negotiated by Ward and approved by the City Council during the past couple of years were too generous given “the writing was on the wall” about the economy.
“The mayor was giving out raises,” he said, when it was clear the city might have a hard time paying for them.“We gave out 4 percent raises” to the police, Cockayne said, “and now we’re asking for something back. It’s ridiculous.”
Note:
Here's the story about the police contract that Cockayne opposed. The four-year deal actually has 3.5 percent raises for each of its final two years, not 4 percent. Interestingly, Cockayne did say in that story, which ran last June, that he had no problem with the pay hikes granted to the police.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
61 comments:
Thank you Ken Cockayne.
Thank you Ken? For what? Shooting his mouth off (again)? No action, just condemnation...not a very impressive performance.
Ken should read the contracts before shooting his mouth off. The police did NOT get a 4% raise in their contract. Ken: Engage your brain before your mouth (if that's possible).
Here we go again, Kenny spewing his twisted spin and showing just how ignorant his knowledge about politics really is.
The contracts were approved simply because they would most likely have been higher had they gone to an arbitrator.
What little Kenny doesn't understand is that an arbitrator doesn't look at financial forecasts or "handwriting on the walls" when they issue awards, they look at the ability to pay at the time the contracts are brought to them.
Simply put, simple Kenny, is the conditions at the time the contracts were approved was very much improved from what it is now. So your thanking the unions for coming to the table to try and help out with concessions is notable; however, your criticism of Mayor Ward is unwarranted.
Really, Kenny, you do soooo much better when you keep your idiotic comments about who to blame, to yourself.
Steve, Thanks for the link to the article and reporting the FACTS.
"Interestingly, Cockayne did say in that story, which ran last June, that he had no problem with the pay hikes granted to the police."
Cockayne exposed (again) for the loud-mouth, headline grabbing, hypocrite that he is.
Uh oh, somebody find Mad Dog's muzzle, quick!!!
Thank you Steve, for referencing back the previously related articles. It definitely puts it in an interesting perspective.
Altough it is nice to try and find some happy middle ground with the unions, the true problem starts with the supervisors. When the good old boy network allows for supervisors to be promoted from within without proper qualifications(streets division)or allowing people to take positions and allowing them the time to get the required college (HR, Building, Wetlands) How can we expect to run the City effectively.
Now that these people are in these positions (and most have been for years), they need to step up and start looking at ways to save and stop spending, start making the all city employees do there jobs responsibly and without waste.
The shame of all of this is that most of the city employees live in Bristol and none of them care about what comes out of their wallet only what is going in.
They need to start thinking about how much waste they create. All the pulic works employees have seen the "Days Work for a Days Pay" policy put forth over ten years ago. Why doesn't someone finally hold the supervisors accountable. It has to start at the top.
Art to Walt, Ed, Rob, Diane and down the line.
I know easier said then done.
the gist of this posting is that people are starting to realize the cokecayne is out for one thing - reelection - at your expense. where has the bravado jerk been since he approved a police contract that didn't exceed 3.5% but now says was 4% - boy does he think that all of us voters are stupid or what?
see how he is catering to the unions now? must be election time and he is trying to kiss butt to get the endorsement which he thought was stupidity at the last election.
Seems to me that cokeayne is back-peddleing, trying to cover up his political ineptness and playing both sides against each other - step up and stand behind your principals cockayne or get out of the way and let a responsible person emerge as the next representative on our city council.
you have proven to be a political opportunist with no regard to what serves your constituents - take a walk.
10:58 should practice what they preach and stop hiding behind the water department property on Mix Street or the numerous other spots during the day.
How come Kenny doesn't contend that the insurance companies should give some money back to the already ripped off consumer? Is it because he sells insurance? What a hypocrite!
Maybe they should lay off 10:58 to save some money !
cockayne never had a problem with the wage structure in the contract, 3/3.25/3,5/3.5 not 4%, he even said that his main problem was with the health co-pay.
might help if cockayne stayed awake during city meetings.
By the way, the cops pay the highest co-pay outside of the board of education.
way to go ken, this is the reason that your credibility is like a sieve - get yourself a case of kleenex for november so you can sniffle your way out of bristol politics.
we grt rid of "wanna-be" mocabee and we inherit "ketch-me if you kan kenny" - what a toss-up this is going to be.
"Cockayne blames mayor..."
Isn't that his campaign platform? That seems to be the ONLY think that Ken does!!! LOL!!!
kenny, evident that you can't read the contract so why not sign up for literacy classes at summer school?
we can read and fill out the application for you.
signed,
aspiring 2nd grade class
KEN THE BIG MOUTH ON HERE DOESNT PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN BRISTOL HIS WHOLE LIFE IS TALKING ABOUT YOU MAYBE ART WILL GIVE HIM SOME TREATS.
KEN LETS GET THIS SHOW GOING TELL US THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT CITY HALL AND WHY SOME OF THESE DEPT HEADS ARE STILL AROUND. EASY WAY TO HELP THE BUDGET GET RID OF THE LAP DOGS . COUTURE SURE TOOK CARE OF THEM AND THIS GOES ON SEEN.
Keep up the good work Kenny...obviously you popped their bubble again and the unionites are all whinning to pappa ward! Bite em Mad Dog!
On a serious note...why hasn't GASB 45 been enacted...no lay offs...no tax increase...everyone wins???
7:40 poster,
I think you should get your facts straight about Ken not paying property taxes.
Just another union hack not getting his facts right or just spreading lies as usual!
Seems like Cockayne has touched a soar spot with the Ward Union boy's. This is just another feel good thing from Ward.
"Seems like Cockayne has touched a soar spot with the Ward Union boy's."
Um, no, actually it's just that COCKayne is wrong with his facts. If he wants to spout off he should at least tell the truth.
COCKayne gets called out for speaking out of both sides of his mouth. How come no response or explanation? Guess he got caught so he crawled back under the rock he came from.
"This is just another feel good thing from Ward."
Golly, all those "feel good" (they feel good because they ARE good) things that Ward keeps doing sure are piling up! He's doing a great job and that seems to be a sore spot for the anti-Ward folks!!!
"Keep up the good work Kenny...obviously you popped their bubble again"
The only bubbles are coming from Ken's wishy-washiness...or maybe that's foam from mad dog's muzzle?? LMAO!!!
"GO Cockayne, Go Cockayne, Go Cockayne GO!!!"
Judging from the sentiment expressed around town and here on the blog, Ken would do well to go, and then keep on going (the further the better)!
Who cares if he agreed with the raises or not???
The bttom line is that several Bristol residents are currently unemployed.
Ward knew this and gave them raises anyway.
I hate to say it but the police may pay the highest health care co-pays, but they don't pay nearly as much as those in the private sector so don't feel bad for them.
Cockayne is right...why sign a contract and than six months later say we have to re-negoiate b/c we can't afford to pay you? because if we do, I'll ave to raise property taxes and I won't get re-elected?
Art Ward that's who!
last one out, wake up cockayne and close the door.
hey, bet ya that cockayne never approached the mayor on this - 'cause if he did, he would have found out that the contracts that he voted on never had a 4% wage hike in them and therefore he wouldn't have had a story for the news - gosh, ken can't even do that right. what a loser.
No, they make Ward feel good, not me and many other people!
I guess it all depends who you hang out with when judging the sentiment around town. I have heard more positive than negative on Cockayne. Not too many people are on this blog and are as in tune with local politics as everyone else. (At least we think we know a lot.) Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that many people like when Cockayne questions and challenges Ward and the Dems. Sure the way he does it is obnoxious, but most people I talk to like what he is doing. When I ask them what has he done, they just like the way he is challenging things. That is their perception, and that is what he has going for him - he is ruffling feathers and not accepting the status quo and the rule of the "good ole boys". It's actually pretty interesting. B/t him and Ward it always seems to be a battle of sound bites (well snippets from the Press).
I have nothing but a passive interest concerning a paper I am doing for a political science course in school. I am liberal but more towards the center and you people really should be ashamed of the way you can post as anonymous and scorn our leaders the way you do. Other than federal grants, which are just taxpayers monies coming from a different part of the country that you people some how justify that Bristol "deserves" what have these derelicts done to make this city a better place for us? No matter what post goes up REpublican or Democrat you bitch and bitch and bitch but the same 6 people keep get elected to office. What world of "change " are you living in? You get the government you deserve because you voted for them and while they have done cosmetic good for the city, they have done nothing.
GASB 45 GASB 45 GASB 45 GASB 45
Ward Rimcoski Nicastro MCCauley are too affraid of the unionite hack leaders here. I am sure that in their little backroom meeting they said...concessions for no GASB 45..otherwise we will not vote for you. So like good little lapdog union suckups these four are likely to vote against the tax payers and with the unions. Oh if only the taxpayers....who are not unionites voted as much as these guys do!
Rimcoski just doesn't get it. Somebody needs to help him understand how important GASB 45 is for everyone. The other three are just bough love.
How come cockayne hasn't admitted this new error in judgement and distortion of the true facts of there ever being ANY %4 RAISES?
If he keeps digging his hole any deeper, it will probably qualify as a "pre-arranged final internment arrangement."
give the 4% grap a rest...if that is all you can say, it shows how paronoid you unionites really are, and not just of Cockayne...you sound like little kids.."Mommy Mommy he said 4% and it was supposed to be 3.5%"...morons!
11:16 - because cockayne is a "wing-nut" with absolutely no idea of which way the wind is blowing. watch him kiss the union's ass in the next four months to secure their support - he is so out of it that even his mirrors portray a different image of him - on everything.
What Cockayne should have said is that they are getting over a 10% raise over the next 3 years. He actually mistated in their favor. 3/3.25/3.5 = approximately a 10 % raise (rounding down to the nearest whole number). I'm sure he was trying to be kind as he likes the police and seems to favor them.
Amazing that the tones of these bloggers are so identifiable in spite of the anonyminity of the postings.
Guess that the old saying of "you can run but you can't hide" is alive and well.
I sincerely wish that many of these bloggers could actually "hide" because I truly believe that many of them are, in reality, truly "lost" anyway.
11:16 - how come cockayne hasn't realized that being a member of the city council doesn't include being purposely aimed at "deception" or "distortion" as THE means of delivering information to the people?
"I have heard more positive than negative on Cockayne. Not too many people are on this blog and are as in tune with local politics as everyone else."
You're kidding, right? Most of the people on this blog ARE local politicians. If you've heard more positive than negative on Ken, you definitely need to get out more!!!
"So like good little lapdog union suckups these four are likely to vote against the tax payers and with the unions"
Come on now Mad Dog. We all know who the REAL lap dog is.
Like him or not,wether you think he runs his mouth too much, or don't agree with what he has done. Having said that, at least there is a Republican on the City Council that while yes may run his mouth but he pretty much carries the conservative line. I am only paraphrasing this if that is the right word because i have only been here since 1974 and grew up in the other end of town. Weren't some of these same people in charge of making the descision to knock down our Beautiful Post Office, (which I never had the pleasure to see,) knock down all the beautiful buildings on the Center Mall site for the "sake of progress" and basically have free reign with what to do with the downtown. If that is true, we have allowed these (or some of these people) to bulldoze for the sake of progress, and while it worked for a while, we are bulldozing for the "sake of progress" yet again, only to have what was it , a 6 million dollar grant to re-do North Main St.in order to give it a feel from the 50's and 60's in other words the "days of yore" feel. So we've bulldozed twice ruining beautiful buildings for the sake of progress only to spend millions to get it back to how it used to be. Wake up. Some of the people that thought they had the foresight to do this are still in our Government.
Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day; now if only ken cockayne would do us all a favor and promise not to "bray," whenever he has something to say.
Don't overlook the part of the posting that points out that at the time of the council vote, cockayne stated that "he had no problem with the wages in the police contract - so much for demonstrating how to stutter out of both sides of his mouth, while gurgling all over his bib.
10:56- you need to do a little research before stating incorrect facts, must be a cockayne clone - oh no.
hope all of those cockayne clones, both of them, come out together so that we can herd them together and flock them out of here.
So then, if the facts were mistated, enlighten us all and tell us what the existing members of City Government that destroyed the downtown did to make it better.....
present members weren't here for the post office etc.
3:08
Art Ward was on the Council for most of that time,and Deputy Mayor for the two years of Couture.
And he DID attend secret meetings!
7:38 ...and Elvis is behind the grassy knoll...schlep
LMAO!!!
and cockayne is hiding his red face under the city council desk top.
project for the next year should be to gather together all of the negative posters on this site. into one location. to try and come up with even a glimpse of hope.
Nah, why waste the time when I can just wake up in the morning, read these "woe is me" tirades, take a shower and go out into the REAL world to see REAL people.
Sorry for wasting your time.
Elvis is dead, but Ward did attend secret meetings as Deputy Mayor!
1:23, Maybe if you repeat it enough, someone other than yourself with believe it (schlep)!
3:12pm - Mayor maybe instead of blogging on here during the day you should do your job, the taxpayers are paying in case you forgot.
8:37 - ken, you are out of the race, don't be looking for scape goats.
8:37 - LMAO! As per your usual posts - WRONG! But thanks, I think the mayor is a pretty sharp guy so I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks!
3:12
It is working, people are talking about it already.
11:49,
Actually, they're laughing about it because it's ridiculous. Nice try though!
Actually they are taking it quite seriously, and are concerned.
You would be too if you saw the proof, but your being anonomyous sorta keeps you in the dark, where you like to hide.
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