Statement read by city Councilor Kevin McCauley at tonight's City Council session about the proposed deal with Local 233:
As many know, I took considerable heat on my position last week to postpone the vote on this Tentative Agreement for one week. After having a week to review the documents that contain some major changes in the contract, I am more than happy to state that I believe we made the right decision.
Last week, we were given the Comparison Document two days before the special meeting. Upon reviewing it, I knew, in my experience as both a union member and a City Council member, that this document would require more than 48 hours of consideration and analysis before I felt comfortable to render a decision on the ratification of it.
The two-page Comparison Document is extremely complex. It includes highly technical and specialized legal and tax language, the implications of which would take time to fully consider.
This is a very difficult contract and tough to comprehend, both from a management standpoint and I am sure from a member’s standpoint. I think that Local 233's membership, along with the skillful negotiating of their leadership, should be commended for the fact that they are willing to take a reduction in pay, give back vacation days when it comes to doing their retirement calculation, not demand any code increases, nor take any step increases. But most of all, the major change with regard to the pension policy in agreeing to pay for a portion of their own post-employment healthcare benefits deserves our gratitude.
In fact, this pension policy change gives the City of Bristol the precedent and ability to negotiate with all other City unions and secure the same concessions. Essentially, Local 233 has now provided the City with the key to open the door to fully implementing a GASB 45 plan.
The Tentative Agreement also establishes a City pension “prerogative” that is not subject to grievance or arbitration procedure, and may set precedents that will give the City an upper hand in securing similar concessions in future negotiations with other City unions.
I want to thank the membership of 233 and their leadership for their efforts during the negotiations, and the efforts by the City negotiating team. By working together, the City and 233 clearly did a good job in saving taxpayer dollars in the future by giving unprecedented concessions and not demanding anything in return from the City.
The Tentative Agreement was approved by Local 233 membership and represents the will of the majority of Local 233’s members, and I will vote to ratify it because of their vote, and because of the benefits it provides to the City.
*****
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
32 comments:
This is the biggest load of bull I have ever read.
What a shame that people like this are running the city.
Like always MCCauley you are wrong. GASBY requires the Municipalities and state to report out future pension responsibilities but doesn't require them to fully fund it. Like always you take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. We had your 2nd report card filled out in advance it was prepared 2 days ago . It was %100 correct.........you're a joke!
It's a shame you have to come out and explain your position which is to have sufficient time to review. Also to get so badly beat up over that position.
Is this the lesson that our national legislators have already learned and why they don't read legislation they vote on?
It was wise to wait a week. It is clear that there was important information in the added document. Knowing that waiting a week didn't make any difference regarding the contract, I am concerned that our mayor wanted to have a vote taken without allowing that extra time. That alone gave the appearance of trying to sweep something under the rug. I hope the mayor can learn from this negative experience that it's our right as citizens to know what is going on in our local government, whether you are on the side of the unions or not.
Kevin is partially correct - Local 233 did give unprecedented concessions and really jumped the gun on progressive union pension policy for all City unions, which I am sure makes Local 1338 and BPSA uneasy (rightfully so).
Local 233 should be ashamed for eating their young, not commended. So much for a unified, collective bargaining unit. The creation of a two-tiered benefit system will also be difficult for the City to administer.
The way that union negotiations are had and contracts ratified in this City is unpalatable.
if mccauley believed any of the crap that he was reading, he would have been able to look straight into the audience and not have to have had to read it.
that was nothing more than a veiled "mea cupa" to try not to have to incur the wrath of the rank and file.
didn't work last week kevin, didn't work this week either kevin.
Maybe next time they can write it in the style of Dr. Seuss so Kevin will be able to understand it.
hey 233, looks like mccauley used you as a scape goat to all of the other unions - read his statement - everything that he says puts you against all of the other unions.
Blah Blah Blah the results were in last week,so predictable. The confused dumbocrats voted yay and the thug republican'ts vote no.
7:13 AM: Okay Kevin, whatever you say.
I don't believe that local 233 sold anybody out. To be truthful it appears that the arbitration award in the Firefighter's vs. The City of Bristol hurt all the unions. Leave it to the councilman to try and divert our attention and try and throw local 233's leaders under the bus. Sorry councilman, but we will stand by our leaders over you all day every day!
Myra is not a great union leader. If the rank and file from 233 think she is, then they get what they deserve. She did sell out huge. She did throw some of the membership under the bus. How could she agree to any contract that does not protect their workers. Ward himself said layoffs will be considered. Why not take a pay freeze to guarantee no layoffs? There needs to be new leadership with all of the unions. How they could support this contract is beyond me. Whether McCauley was pinning the blame or throwing her under the bus or not doesn't matter. What matters is he is correct. This sets a precedent that the unions will not recover from. Thanks for my raise which amounts to pennies. 1.5 % but increased cost sharing and no guarantee my job will be safe next year. Glad I pay my dues every week.
It isn't all adone deal yet!
11:12 you are clearly a leader becuase when talking to other rank and file, they had no clue what you did so don't bother passing yourself off as one of the honorable people who work hard for this city.
7:33: mccauley didn't use anyone as a scapegoat. Blame myra, petosa and the mayor. they're the ones who negotiated this contract and let's remember that the conflict of interest here is huge. Let's put the blame where it belongs ... on the shoulders of those three.
7:21: the only one that should be incurring the wrath of the rank and file are the aforementioned union leaders and the mayor. Mccauley did nothing more than ask for a week's continuance to look at a document that was given to him that day. As an elected official, that's what he should do. Obviously the mayor had something to hide otherwise he wouldn't have put on such a production. Come to find out this tiny section opens the door to GASB which is great for the city but lousy for the union rank and file. If you don't believe that there should have been a continuance, then you don't believe in open government and you're just as crooked as those who tried to prevent the tabling from happening.
I agree with the poster who called for new leadership. My co-workers are sheep. It is unbelievable what we got. Crumbs and no protection. I want to fire my union rep!
Kevin reads better than Ken.
ok, macauly, mills and ken did the show they agreed to do beforehand...like zoppo did before..and we should be impressed how?
the mayor was right on target, no changes to the contract...i have to agree that he knew what he was doing.
i never heard cockayne complaining when the republicans got us in this mess before the current administration...was he sleeping?
if macauly needed time to prepare a speech he should have said so, instead of going on and on about not being able to review the information...and no matter about the kisses and hugs, the union will not vote for him again...
Ward caved to the Unions because he received some kick backs - no wonder he wanted it pushed through. Mayor you shouldn't make promises you can't keep you dumb
A@%!
Kevin you have my vote who cares about some of those union thugs
Just a couple of thoughts for you uninformed bloggers. First off the members of local 233 were provided with the information in the negotiated contract.They voted overwelmingly to accept it.They could have rejected it and gone to arbitration costing the city alot of tax payer dollars.Ken and company would have criticized this also. Local 233 could have lost alot more in arbitration(ask your local firefighter)I think as a tax payer the union and Mayor held the line. Thanks to both.The Dems. are in trouble after Ward leaves because there isn't one of you, mature enough or with any sort of leadership abilitiy to hold this position.Mr. Mills collects a handsome pension with yearly raises.He also owns many houses that he rents (we must keep property taxes down for Dave).
10:22 - you can call ward an ass all that you want but at least he has the balls to step up and not hide behind "anonymous."
actually, how can we be sure that you aren't mccauley, cockayne or mills hiding so as not to be embarrassed again for stupidity?
9:16, were you asleep during the "show" the mayor put on? Every single one of those council members agreed to table ... every single one! The only one against it was the mayor. Why did they table? Again, for the umpteenth time, so that they could look over a document that had just been handed to them that day. That's what we elected them for ... to do their due diligence!
9:22 again, another ward lackey who will blindly follow the "great leader" regardless of how poorly he rules the populous! Clearly Mccauley uncovered something that the mayor and the labor leadership didn't want uncovered and you're just angry that it was discovered. In the end the truth will come out regardless of how much they tried to hide it.
As far as the poster who feels that when ward is gone, the dems are in trouble. The only dem I see who is in trouble IS the mayor. If you look behind the scenes and look at who is doing what, you will see that they are doing things to help this city (I'm not sure what Fuller is doing) but they are not trying to put up roadblocks like the mayor is. so much for moving for-Ward.
5:54 - kevin is one of those union "thugs" remember? he belongs to the fire union which got their butts handed to them by the arbitrator for being so greedy, think that he might want anyone getting more than he did?
at least 233 was smart and not greedy.
6:30 PM/10:27 AM
Me thinks thou doth protest too much.
SNEAKY,
How can we be sure you aren't Ward?
The nickname fits.
Sneaky?!?! Is that you? It's me, Chicken Bock Bock! Call me. I'd leave my number on here, but all the anonymous posters would probably try calling too. At least we are brave enough to leave our names.
Hmmmm more negativism by the "useless" moaners on here. Scrooge republicans at best. I hope all republicans read this blog just to show what these wierdo's are doing to the GOP. Kinda sad though!
to 10:22 that is liabel. If someone gets a good lawyer (which buy the way ) is close. It's false claims and this blog can be liabel for false harmful statements. Therefore opening the door to see who these anonymous cowards are.
4:44 PM; SNEAKY? Sounds more like McCauley to me.
4:44 - sucks when you don't know, doesn't it?
Art Ward followers just GROW UP! It's pathetic how people bash others just to make themselves feel better. Are we adults or little rats running around behind peoples backs saying one thing but doing another? Lets be mature for once. Lets show Bristol the things we can do by improving it because like Art Ward said he has all these plans but nothing has even happened, pathetic i would say! Make a change and move forWARD cough cough Art Ward.
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