By Danny Teigman
The contract - a five-year retroactive deal extending from July 2005 through June 2010 - calls for a 3.4 percent pay raise for all unit employees in the first year, increasing to 3.5 percent over the next three years. Employees will see pay raises of 3.3 percent during the last year of the contract.
"The district was pleased that a resolution was reached and is happy to continue pleasant relations with all in the bargaining unit," said Melissa Burak, Lynbrook's assistant superintendent for business. "As a whole, the district improves when we all work together."
"As negotiations unfolded, both sides were willing to resolve the matter," said Superintendent Phil Cicero. "Not only in the best interests of eachother, but in the best interests of the district and community in general."
Healthcare retirement benefits, long seen as the greatest sticking point in the contract, were also successfully negotiated, said Art Ferrera, union president. Amid 11th-hour compromises and a flurry of cooperative spirit, this hurdle was cleared as six representatives from both groups sat down without their respective lawyers and hammered out a deal.
"It's better than it was going to be for the retirement [benefits]," Ferrera said. "...But this is fairer than the offers we had prior to this."
Union members who were hired before 1995 will now be paying 5 percent of their retirement healthcare costs while those hired after 1995 will be contributing 10 percent. Under the old contract, each group was paying zero and 5 percent, respectively.
Citing rising costs and a responsibility to the taxpayer, district officials said they originally wanted to reduce the district's share of the cost of the custodial union's retirement health insurance to the state minimum. This would have covered the medical costs of 50 percent - rather than 100 percent - of individuals 65 and older if hired before 1995, and 95 percent if hired any time since.
"As with all negotiation, there's give and take on the table at all times," Burak said of the revised contract. "After two years of negotiating, this was a fair enough compromise."
The union, which employs 46 custodians, groundsmen and maintenance staff districtwide, brought in an Albany mediator in March to help further negotiations, but to no avail. When asked what changed this time, Ferrera attributed the successful negotiations to both groups taking a healthy step back and gaining perspective.
"We were able to sit down behind closed doors and iron [the contract] out in about six to eight hours," he said.
"I think what we tried to do was review the process to date, and to try something different to help expedite a resolution," Cicero added.
In addition to compromises in salary and healthcare contributions, the district also increased the number of bereavement days from three to five for employees who are members of the immediate family.
Although he was overall pleased with the contract, Ferrera said that in a perfect world, "the contract still needs works." For instance, he said, he would like to see the re-establishment of pay increases based on years of experience - or "step increases" - for custodial workers, similar to what teachers and secretaries currently enjoy, but was sacrificed in the 1970s to preserve retirement benefits. He admitted, however, that for the time being, he was glad an agreement was finally reached.
"I'm happy to get it over with," Ferrera added.
Comments about this story? DTeigman@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 246.
